How National Lottery Funding is helping us to support criminally exploited children
We're delighted to expand our criminal exploitation support services, made possible with funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.
Thanks to the National Lottery players, we're set to receive almost £5 million from The National Lottery Community Fund.
This generous amount will allow us to support more children, young people and families at risk of criminal exploitation across England, Scotland and Wales.
And what we're doing to keep them safe
Since 2012, we've been running intervention services across the UK to help and protect over 650 children and young people and their families at risk of criminal exploitation.
Our services provide those exploited with education, training and practical skills to help them move forward towards a hopeful future.
We deliver this support through one-to-one and peer mentoring from inspiring individuals like John*, who has lived experience of criminal exploitation.
*This story is based on a real person. We've changed their name to protect their identity.
John became involved in organised crime when he was 17-years-old.
As a vulnerable young person, he was influenced to commit crimes and developed an addiction to drugs. Eventually, he was sentenced to prison on more than one occasion.
Since his teenage years, John has managed to change his life around for the better.
Having been in recovery for over 5 years, he now works as a Lived Experience Practitioner at Action for Children.
He's seen as a positive role model to the children and young people he supports, and is dedicated to educating them about the consequences of being involved in organised crime.
The incredible fund that we'll receive across the next three years will allow us to open five new exploitation intervention services in Leeds, North Tyneside and Gateshead.
Alongside this, we'll be able to expand new activity at our Edinburgh service, while keeping our existing services running in Newcastle and Flintshire.
We'll also have the opportunity to continue to learn and better understand the role of county lines drug dealing and other forms of harm in exploitation, including sexual abuse.
So that we can continue to take action and be there for those who need us most.
Without the help from Action for Children, I would be in jail or dead... I wouldn't be here.
A young person we've supported through our services
Thanks to the National Lottery Players!
Action for Children will receive almost £5 million from The National Lottery Community Fund.
We're incredibly grateful for this support, which'll enable us to reach more children, young people and families a high risk of criminal exploitation across England, Scotland and Wales.
