UK charity Unseen provides support and safehouses in the community for the survivors of modern slavery and trafficking. It also works with communities, individuals, businesses, governments, and other statutory agencies and charities to eradicate slavery for good.
Unseen is one of the organisations included in the Social Mobility Cause Portfolio of Percent for Good, a charitable organisation founded by Mark Lyttleton.
Making an Impact
Unseen runs the UK Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline. In 2024 the charity led creative, bold campaigns to challenge exploitation, shine a light on modern slavery and inspire action. Its #LikesToLines campaign aimed to empower professionals and parents to combat county lines, raising awareness of the tactics used by gangs and how to identify the warning signs of exploitation. The organisation partnered with the Coalition to Stop Slavery to host a roundtable of anti-slavery experts, seeking to hold traffickers to account and ensure justice for survivors.
Among many other activities and undertakings, Unseen also strove to raise awareness of slavery and exploitation within the construction industry in 2024. The charity created an educational video – ‘Beyond the Shadows’ – about labour exploitation, which won a silver award at the Smiley Charity Film Awards.
Amplifying the Message
Unseen received extensive media coverage throughout 2024, including in outlets such as ITV, the BBC, Sky News, The Independent, The Guardian and The Times. This coverage was instrumental in raising awareness of modern slavery and amplifying Unseen’s message. By engaging audiences through these widely recognised media platforms, the charity was able to spark conversations, educate individuals, and mobilise industries and consumers to take a stand against the issues it highlights.
Providing Safe Houses
For Unseen, a safehouse isn’t just a shelter; it is a sanctuary of dignity, hope, and renewal. These safehouses provided practical and emotional help to 29 survivors in 2024, which included support to access legal services and healthcare. The survivors had experienced different forms of modern slavery, including domestic servitude, labour exploitation and sexual exploitation. Unseen’s safehouses give survivors the stability needed to begin rebuilding their lives, free from exploitation and fear.
Getting Involved with Unseen
There are lots of different ways to get involved with Unseen, fund its work and prevent exploitation. Interested individuals could consider fundraising activities such as quizzes and sponsored events or undertaking community fundraising. The charity’s network of trusts and foundations provide other ways to collaborate with Unseen, while businesses could think about becoming a corporate partner.