Feb 21, 2024 | Events
The Derby office of a national specialist insurance brokers has pledged to raise money for local charity Safe and Sound over the next two years.
PIB Insurance Brokers in Wyvern Business Park choose a different charity to support every two years and organise a diverse fundraising programme ranging from physical challenges to dress down days.
Branch director Neil Howie explained: “Although we are part of a national group, we are committed to supporting the communities where our staff, clients and contacts are based.
“All the team nominated charities and it then went to the vote with resounding support for Safe and Sound.
“Having heard more about the issue around child exploitation, I am delighted that we will have the opportunity to raise money that will make a real difference to so many young people and their families in our local communities.
“Choosing a nominated charity gives everyone the focus for what they want to do individually or as part of the team and we have some great activities in the pipeline.”
Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison added: “As well as raising much needed funds, I always welcome the opportunity to build relationships with companies and organisations to raise awareness of child exploitation.
“This enables staff, in turn, to share information with their own family, friends and contacts which is vital to keeping young people safe from grooming and exploitation both in person and online.
“The PIB team were very receptive to learning more about the work we do and several have expressed interest in volunteering for us which is great news.”
For more information about the work of Safe and Sound and how to support the charity, please visit www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk and follow on social media channels and visit https://www.pib-insurance.com/derby for more information about the Derby branch’s work.
Nov 16, 2023 | Events, Fundraising, News, Press Releases
A golf day organised by two Derby businesses has raised £2,000 for the county’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound.
A group of 64 golfers took part in the event organised by Invictus Communications in Melbourne and German Automotive service and repair centre in Ascot Drive, Derby.
Jonny McPhee, managing director of Invictus Communications has been a long-time supporter of Safe and Sound including installing a new telephony system at the charity’s offices to ensure they could keep their helplines open.
He also nominated Safe and Sound to be the chosen charity for the recent East Midlands Business Awards which raised £13,000 to support their work.
He said: “Safe and Sound do an incredible job protecting and supporting young people and families whose lives are affected by child exploitation.
“Therefore, when we started planning the golf day with Ian Essex and the team at German Automotive, I was adamant that Safe and Sound would be a chosen charity for fundraising on the day.
“Our whole ethos is buy local, sell local and support local and I am delighted that we have once again been able to make a positive difference to this amazing charity.”
Tracy Harrison, CEO of Safe and Sound met with the golfers on the day as they teed off. She said: “Once again we are very grateful for the generosity shown by Invictus Communications and the businesses and individuals they work with.
“Every penny raised goes into directly supporting young people and families in our local communities through 121 and group support, positive activities and outreach work.
“We can only do this with the support of our local business community and I hope they all realise what a positive difference they are making to so many people’s lives.”
https://www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk/
https://www.invictuscomms.com/
https://germanauto.co.uk/
Sep 20, 2023 | Events, Fundraising, News, Press Releases
A former soldier is returning to the boxing ring to raise money for Safe and Sound, Derbyshire’s specialist charity that supports young people and their families whose lives are affected by child exploitation.
Harry Sloman (22) from Melbourne now works in construction after serving in the Mercian Regiment. He will be taking part in an Ultra White Collar Boxing event on November 25 at Arleston Hall in Derby and is asking family and friends to sponsor him in his endeavours.
Harry explained: “I first took up boxing when I was a teenager because I was being bullied at school. It gave me the self-confidence and self-esteem that I needed to get me out of a black hole and I have since taken part in six white collar boxing events – winning all of my bouts.
“I am really looking forward to the training and then the event itself and I hope to raise a decent amount of money for Safe and Sound.
“The scale of grooming and child exploitation – especially in our local communities – really resonated with me because of how vulnerable I felt when I was younger.
“Feeling confident and in control of your life is so important to a young person’s wellbeing and safety so I felt this was the perfect way to raise money for Safe and Sound.”
Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison added: “We are very grateful that Harry has chosen to raise money for us in this way.
“Boxing is a key part of our positive activities programme for both young boys and girls to help build their confidence and resilience which are crucial to them moving forward with their lives.”
To support Harry Sloman, please visit his Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/harry-sloman?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=harry-sloman&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=ef18d6b4ccda46cc8e1d689f45413122
For more information about Safe and Sound and how to support what they do in local communities, visit https://www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk
Sep 13, 2023 | Events, Fundraising, News, Press Releases
Some of Derby’s most successful and up and coming music and dance performers will come together for a special event in the city next month to raise money for specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound.
The event has been organised by Sharon Jackson, a former case worker at Safe and Sound who is the founder of Shield – a safeguarding and child protection training service.
Keen to support the charity, Sharon has brought together a wide range of music acts including soul, rap, jazz, ballads, country Indie-rock as well as dance to perform on Friday October 6 at The Venue between 7pm and midnight.
The headline act for the evening are Indie/alternative quartet, Shadows Of A Silhouette, who graced the YNOT main stage this summer and are heavily influenced by their working class background and groups such as Arctic Monkeys.
The line-up also includes The Steve Frixou Band, Feurtado Beats, Samiie Licence, Jon Ryan, Henry John, Karolina, Richard Comfort, Sharon Jackson, the Nadia Dance Group as well as accomplished musicians and Safe and Sound team members Sheila Isles and Jamie Joseph.
Sharon Jackson explained: “The music night will a fantastic showcase for local talent, particularly young and up and coming musicians and dancers from this area, and to highlight the amazing work that Safe and Sound do in our local communities to support and protect children, young people and families whose lives are affected by child exploitation.
“We hope that it will generate new audiences for these superb performers as well as much-needed funds to help the charity expand its work across the county.”
Nathan Brown, who is a founding member of Shadows Of A Silhouette and performs lead vocals and rhythm guitar, continued: “We wanted to be involved in this event because we know and are very aware of the amazing work Safe and Sound does to protect vulnerable children from the many predators in our society.
“They have been relentless over the past 20 years in highlighting the need for more work to be done at all levels to safeguard children. Their work takes a lot of time and effort and is funded by charitable donations in the main. Without their voices, a lot of the voices of the vulnerable children would go unheard.
“It therefore means everything to us to able to be part of this music event to help raise money for the charity. Music is in our blood, and we get the pleasure of putting smiles on people’s faces when we take to a stage.”
Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison concluded: “Music and dance played a really important part in our 20th anniversary celebrations last year and made me realise just how many talented artists and particularly young people we have across the city and county.
“Sharon has done an incredible job bringing the music night together and we look forward to engaging with a whole new audience to raise awareness of the dangers facing young people both online and in our local communities and what we do to help them and their families move forward positively with their lives.”
Tickets for the over-18 music night are available at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/charity-music-night-tickets-706018238557?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&fbclid=IwAR09IGoYbDLTD7sgNABeW7dSyFo8MXLXFbLfkBjPHnIrVAhW-LAiDXVeg1Q and for more information about the work of Safe and Sound, please visit https://www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk
Aug 21, 2023 | Events, Fundraising, News, Press Releases
Specialist child exploitation charity Safe and Sound has been appointed to deliver a special programme that aims to strengthen family relationships and reduce the number of young people going into local authority care in Derby city.
The charity has worked closely with Derby City Council to deliver a pilot Family Group Conference programme in the city which is the first in the Midlands and were part of a competitive tendering process to determine its future delivery.
The programme was originally devised by Leeds City Council and centres around empowering and supporting families to find solutions to the issues they face and remain together as a family unit rather than matters escalating and their children being placed in care.
Over the two-year pilot, 115 families have been referred to Safe and Sound by Derby City Council with 95 conference reviews held – bringing the wider family around the table to discuss the future of the children.
Issues have ranged from single parents who have been empowered to ask their families for practical and emotional support to children being cared for by other family members rather than being placed in care due to issues at home.
Safe and Sound has drawn on its experience in supporting children and young people who are victims of or at risk of exploitation including online grooming, sexual exploitation, County Lines, trafficking, modern slavery and radicalisation as well as helping the wider family.
Safe and Sound chief executive Tracy Harrison explained: “We were originally appointed to lead on this pilot programme because of our proven track record in protecting and supporting children, young people and families – empowering them to take back control and re-build their lives.
“Children in care are more vulnerable to exploitation and if we can keep them safer in the family home it reduces that risk too.
“We also have widespread experience of supporting young people and families who are new arrivals to the city such as those in the Roma community who have a long-held mistrust of authority and whose children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation.
“Throughout the pilot programme we have demonstrated how we can successfully empower and support the family to broker relationships, work through issues together and make safe decisions and plans so that children going into the care of the local authority is the last resort.
“We have worked with families facing a wide range of issues to move forward positively and have also been able to put extra support in place where we can or signpost them to other organisations for help.
“I am delighted that foundations we have helped put in place will now be built upon moving forward so that we play an important role in empowering families to find a solution that enables more young people to grow into adulthood safely and with family support.”
Cllr John Whitby, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Learning and Skills at Derby City Council, added: “The Family Group Conferencing approach reflects the aims and values of both Derby City Council and Safe and Sound where children are at the centre of practice.
“We have a shared desire to empower and enable families to find solutions, make changes, build resilience and, most of all, to remain together.
“The work undertaken initially in Leeds and now in Derby has shown that, through building relationships with professionals who support and guide through this process, families can and do achieve this.”
Among the families supported through the pilot Family Group Conferencing programme is a couple with seven children. On discovering that she had a terminal illness, the mother knew her partner could not cope. By bringing the four grown up children around the table, plans were progressed for the younger ones to be looked after rather than going into care.
Another mother with a young son was facing an ongoing alcohol misuse issues. Through the Family Group Conference she was empowered to admit the extent of her challenges and to ask for help and support from her wider family which has ensured the safety and care of her son.
For more information about Safe and Sound and how to support the work it does, please visit https://safeandsoundgroup.org.uk/
Jul 27, 2023 | Events, Fundraising, News, Press Releases
One of Derby’s most popular charity events is returning to Markeaton Park after an extended break.
The Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity Colour Run is set to return to the park after three years with the local charities and businesses getting on board to support the colour-filled event.
The event, which will see runners follow a 5km route around Markeaton Park whilst being sprayed in a rainbow of coloured powder paint, takes place on Saturday 16 August from 11am – 2pm.
Safe and Sound, Derbyshire’s specialist charity that supports children, young people and families affected by child exploitation, is working alongside the Hospitals Charity to raise funds and awareness.
Vicky Carey, Community Fundraiser at Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity, said: “We are thrilled to be working with another local charity and make our event bigger and better than ever.
“It is really important to us to have support from our local community, whose generosity enables us to carry on providing those much-needed extras, and the money raised will make a real difference to patients across the Trust.”
Tracy Harrison, CEO of Safe and Sound added: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to be part of this great event which will raise much needed funds and awareness both for us and the hospitals charity.
“Child exploitation is not a comfortable subject to discuss but I hope that our involvement in the Colour Run will encourage more conversations about the dangers facing young people both online and in our local communities so that families reach out for support and advice if they have concerns.
“We are particularly keen to give some of the young people that we support the opportunity take part in the Colour Run to build their confidence, resilience and self-esteem and hope that business sponsorship will be able to make this happen.”
Runners in the event will be raising money for Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity but can also choose to support a specific ward or department across any of University Hospitals of Derby and Burton’s (UHDB) five hospital sites in Derby, Burton, Tamworth and Lichfield.
Adults and children over five are all welcome to take part in the fun run. Entry costs £25 for over-16s or £12.50 for under-16s and includes a free t-shirt and paint packet to use at the start of the race.
Sign up for the 2023 Colour Run on our website > or alternatively, you can call Vicky Carey on 01332 788 861.
For further information on the Safe and Sound charity, and how to discuss young people sponsorship opportunities, visit their website >
