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Earlier this month, three of the diocese's Modern Slavery Ambassadors were privileged to give a team presentation about their role at CSAN’s Migration Alliance Conference, held at the Jesuit Conference Centre in London.

The Conference – which was attended by representatives from a range of national and international organisations – focussed on the themes of immigration, human trafficking, and modern slavery with speakers from the Medaille Trust, one of the UK's leading providers of support for survivors of modern slavery; homelessness charity The Passage, which provides a Modern Slavery Service; and SJOG, a global charity which promotes the dignity of the human person and offers safe houses and rehabilitation to victims of slavery and trafficking.

There are 27 ecumenical Modern Slavery Ambassadors across the Diocese providing an awareness-raising, anti-slavery network across Christian churches in Surrey and Sussex, in partnership with the Anglican Diocese of Chichester.

In an interview led by Fr Mark Odione MSP (CBCEW’s Nigerian anti-trafficking project liaison officer), Tessa Ricketts, the Caritas Social Action Adviser, outlined the history and development of the scheme in the Diocese, with Catholic Modern Slavery Ambassadors Mary Barrett, Ann Meehan, and Mark Potter then exploring what prompted them to become Ambassadors, highlighting the nature of the voluntary role and what they hope to achieve, and exploring the group’s desire to inform people, churches and groups about the scourge of Modern Slavery "hidden in plain sight [but] right here on our doorstep."

Fr Mark engages with Nigerian communities in the diaspora and other vulnerable communities to raise awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery.

He also organises awareness campaigns in UK parishes on the issues of human trafficking and modern slavery and supports closer engagement between Nigerian statutory agencies, the Catholic Church, and UK statutory partners. Supported by Tessa Ricketts, the diocesan Social Action Adviser, Mary, Ann and Mark highlighted their hope of rescuing people caught up in Modern Slavery which “would be a blessed result.” Reflecting after the conference, Mary Barrett said:

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“I was pleased to share my experiences at the CSAN event in London, alongside Ann and Mark, and discuss our different journeys to becoming Modern Slavery Ambassadors. My voluntary work at Immigration Removal Centres at Gatwick Airport gave me some insight into the desperate lives of trafficked people as they await possible deportation. If our local parish communities can contribute in any way possible to bring this trade in people to an end, then it can only be positive.

“I am delighted that this work is being carried out in partnership, ecumenically; the Ambassador scheme has been developed alongside the Anglican Dioceses of Chichester and Southwark, and other Christian communities ‘coming on board’ all the time.”

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Fr Mark Odione MSP is hoping to seed the Ambassador initiative across other dioceses in England and Wales. If you would like to find out more about fighting slavery, click here and visit the diocesan website. To find out more about parishes becoming Modern Slavery Ambassadors in our Diocese, please email Tessa.

With thanks to Ambassadors Ann Meehan and Mary Barrett for their contributions to this story.