Week 8 of training – it’s getting real now!
Hi, I’m Lauren, and I’m training for the London Landmark Half Marathon to raise money for Anti-Slavery charities.
I was sweet talked into taking part by our Compliance Officer, Frankie. We both enjoy a fitness challenge, but doing it for such a good cause made for an easy yes.
I’ll be documenting my training journey in a bid to raise awareness of the reasons behind the fundraising – after all, Modern Day Slavery affects an estimated 130,000 people in the UK alone – and the number is growing.
We belive it’s our responsibility to work towards change, as forced labour is the second most common form of Slavery in the UK.
1st Jan
New year, new me, lol?
Bit of a wet and windy New Year?s Day run. Managed to fit in some local ?sight seeing? on a steady 6km route.
4th January
Saturdays are normally Parkrun days with Frankie, but the majority of the local ones were cancelled due to the weather.
Headed out on a frosty 5km run which was a bit hilly! The hill is normally accompanied by seeing a bunch of swans and geese, but I had to include an older picture here as my hands couldn?t get my phone out of my pocket on Saturday morning!)
Week 9 started on the 6th January and the runs start getting a bit longer now. I’m aiming for 3 decent runs this week. Next week I have my first event of the year, a 10K!
Wish me luck – and keep your fingers crossed for the weather for me!
MDS STORY THE REALITY OF MDS
Ferda’s Story:
We want to share real life examples of Modern Day Slavery with you, so you can understand just how close it is to our lives, and what the victims have to go through. These stories are brought to you from the Salvation Army, who we have regularly donated to for their work.
Before Ferda was trafficked into the UK from the Czech Republic, he had been living on the streets for two years with no income, after falling into depression when his wife died.
He was in his early sixties. He had lost touch with his children and so gladly accepted the help of a man who befriended him, offering somewhere to live and a part-time job. The subsequent promise of better work in the UK also sounded like a good opportunity.
Upon arrival in the UK, Ferda was told that he had to pay his traffickers back for travel. He worked more than 12 hours a day, six days a week in factories around England earning about ?300 a week. He didn?t see much of this money as his trafficker demanded large amounts to repay debts and for accommodation. Ferda?s major health issues, including severe heart problems, back and foot pain, and depression were exacerbated by the long working hours and stress of debt repayment.
Once his health became a liability and he could no longer perform his job, he was evicted and left on the streets. He went into a hostel, where they recognised him as a trafficked victim and referred him to The Salvation Army.
During his time at the safehouse, Ferda took English classes, talked to other victims and his case worker and had proper medical treatment. He took the chance to evaluate what he wanted to do next and decided to return to the Czech Republic and draw his pension.
The Salvation Army and other agencies supported Ferda to obtain documents needed to travel home, secured assistance for his journey, and helped find secure housing in the Czech Republic where he is now happily resettled.
Ferda went into a hostel, where they recognised him as a trafficked victim and referred him to us.
More stories are available on the Salvation Army’s website
Is your business clued up on Modern Day Slavery? It’s closer than you might think.
Find out how we protect our workers here.
