Sep 11, 2023 | Fundraising, News, Press Releases
Derbyshire-based charity, Safe and Sound has become the first organisation to successfully win funding from British Safety Council to improve and support its staff’s wellbeing.
The funding of up to £10,000 was awarded to Safe and Sound through British Safety Council’s Keep Thriving campaign to improve workplace wellbeing.
Tracy Harrison, CEO of Safe and Sound, attended the first 3-hour workshop in November 2022 to help her and other small and medium organisations (SMEs) develop a wellbeing strategy, delivered by experts from British Safety Council’s Being Well Together programme.
Workshop attendees are invited to apply for funding six months after attending workshops with only the most effective and innovative proposals receiving approval.
Further awards will be made to other organisations taking part in workshops between November 2022 and March 2023. The money will help the SMEs to implement their wellbeing strategy and plans.
Commenting on why the money will make a difference and how Safe and Sound will make use of it to support its staff’s wellbeing, Tracy Harrison said: “I am delighted that our work to support our amazing team who in turn work so hard to support children, young people and their families in our local community has been recognised in this way.
“As a charity, we champion diversity, personal development and inclusivity and our team represents the local communities that we serve.
“This grant will enable us to implement our wide-reaching strategy to ensure the wellbeing of our staff who do an incredible job in sometimes the most challenging of circumstances and we are extremely grateful to British Safety Council’s Keep Thriving campaign for its support.
“Initiatives we are planning as part of our new wellbeing strategy include bespoke training, team building and wellbeing workshops.”
Safe and Sound supports and protects young people and families whose lives have been affected by child exploitation.
Commenting on the funding award, Mike Robinson, British Safety Council Chief Executive, said: “I am excited and proud that as a charity British Safety Council is supporting small organisations in this way, and delighted that Safe and Sound is the first recipient. I know the difference even a modest amount of funding can make to employers who lack the HR and financial resources that larger ones can use to support their staff.
“In its application Safe and Sound showed not just that it would use this money in creative and imaginative ways, but also that it would measure, evaluate and track the impact of its activities carefully, that it is listening to its staff to develop its plan and that it fits with the strategic needs of them and the charity.
“We look forward to working with Safe and Sound as it progresses on its wellbeing journey and hearing how it gets on with implementing its plan over the coming months.”
About Keep Thriving
Keep Thriving is British Safety Council’s campaign to help improve the wellbeing of workers, within and outside of the workplace, so that all of us can thrive.
As part of eight key calls to action, the Keep Thriving campaign is asking organisations and businesses to commit to:
- Appoint an executive director responsible for wellbeing, acting as a sponsor driving change
- Actively engage employees in determining workplace wellbeing interventions that work for them
- Adopt a holistic approach to health, safety and wellbeing, focused on training people to enable prevention and avoid poor wellbeing.
For more on the campaign: https://britsafe.org/campaigns-policy/keep-thriving/keep-thriving-campaign/
About Safe and Sound
Safe and Sound is a charity which transforms the lives of children and young people in Derbyshire affected by child exploitation.
It supports children and young people at risk from all forms of exploitation, largely sexual and criminal exploitation, but including arranged marriage, trafficking, gangs and country lines. Its aim is to support at the earliest opportunity with prevention and early intervention programmes. For more, visit: www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk
About Being Well Together
The Being Well Together Programme is one or three-years, delivered by both British Safety Council and its award-winning mental wellbeing sister charity Mates in Mind, to help them improve the wellbeing of their workforce.
It includes access to an online portal with key resources as well as a support manager and options for audit, consultancy, and training services.
More information is available here: https://www.beingwelltogether.org/
Sep 7, 2023 | Fundraising, News, News, Press Releases
Derbyshire’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound, has been chosen as the recipient of donations and funds raised at the East Midlands Business Masters Awards 2023, run by Business.com East Midlands. https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/eastmidlands/events/east-midlands-business-masters-2023
Safe and Sound’s CEO Tracy Harrison, who won the public and third sector leadership award earlier this year which is also organised by the business news platform, will be among the keynote speakers at the awards presentation on October 19 at Nottingham’s Crowne Plaza.
She said: “We are very grateful to the organisers for supporting our charity in this way. I am looking forward to meeting many business leaders who already support us – including the event’s headline sponsors Invictus Communications – as well as representatives from some of the region’s leading businesses and organisations who will be receiving well-deserved recognition on the night.”
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 >
Jun 1, 2023 | Fundraising, News, News, Press Releases
By Tracy Harrison, CEO of Safe and Sound
The voluntary, or third sector as it is also known, is crucial to the health, wellbeing and safety of our local communities and, as the name suggests, volunteers are the backbone of such organisations.
As the head of Derbyshire’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound, and someone who has personally volunteered for numerous charities all of my adult life – I was particularly pleased that the King’s Coronation weekend focused heavily on putting something back into local communities through the Big Help Out.
This has given extra resonance to this year’s Volunteers Week (June 1-7) which recognises the fantastic contribution that volunteers make and a chance for organisations such as ourselves to thank them for their commitment and support.
Safe and Sound is fortunate to have a team of fantastic people who give up their time voluntarily and unpaid to enable us to protect and support young people and their families whose lives are affected by child exploitation.
Our volunteers support us in a number of ways. For example: parents of children targeted both online and in person by perpetrators have progressed to become peer mentors – supporting other families through their journey.
Our youth work and outreach teams are supported by volunteers with an array of life experience to ensure that we can reach out and engage with young people across the city and county.
We also have a wide range of professionals who provide support for the charity – taking on roles as trustees and ambassadors and also providing their expertise to us free of charge.
I however want to highlight that volunteering is also a great opportunity for individuals, and particularly young people, to gain the valuable work experience that opens doors on new and exciting job opportunities.
This is exactly the case for two university students who both came to us as volunteers and have now been appointed into full time roles.
One young person worked with our SEND case worker supporting children, young people and families with special educational needs which is vital work as these challenges greatly increase a young person’s vulnerability to grooming and exploitation. Having proved her worth as a placement student, she has now finished her degree and recently accepted a full-time role at Safe and Sound as a case worker and outreach worker.
Another young person volunteered at Safe and Sound whilst also studying at university. She supported the outreach team, was heavily involved in youth activities over the summer as well as helping to raise awareness in schools of the dangers facing young people. She too will soon be joining the Safe and Sound team in a full-time role as a case worker and outreach worker.
Volunteering is therefore a win/win for both individuals and the organisations that benefit from their energy, commitment and enthusiasm.
With this year’s national celebration week under our belts – I appeal to individuals and to businesses to consider how they can incorporate volunteering into their working and home lives. Their input really can make a positive difference to the lives of so many people in our local communities.
Apr 13, 2023 | Events, Fundraising, News, News, Press Releases
Derbyshire’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound, is inviting people to spend the King’s Coronation bank holiday tackling an action-packed fundraising challenge.
Monday May 8 has been declared a Bank Holiday following the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and people are being encouraged to join the Big Help Out and make a change in their local communities.
Last year, Safe and Sound supported a record 343 children and young people aged eight and above who had been victims of or at risk of child exploitation including online grooming sexual exploitation, County Lines, trafficking, modern slavery and radicalisation. The charity also supported 40 families whose lives had been affected by exploitation.
The charity heavily depends on fundraising to pay for its specialist 121 and group support, outreach and positive youth activities programmes.
Safe and Sound’s ‘Earth Wind and Fire’ adventure challenge starts with a morning walk around the Peak District or Darley Park. This will followed by a 80ft abseil off Miller’s Dale Bridge in the Peak District and the day will finish with a late afternoon fire walk on burning coals at Darley Abbey Mills.
Participants can join individual challenges or all of the activities and the sponsorship money raised will go towards supporting Safe and Sound’s programmes for young people and families.
Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison explained: “We have been planning our ‘Earth, Wind and Fire’ adventure challenge for several months and when the Big Help Out was announced as part of the Coronation weekend, we thought it would be the perfect day for our three-pronged fundraising event.
“We last did the ‘Leap of Faith’ sponsored abseil on February 29 2020 when 39 brave supporters helped us raise more than £10,000 so we hope to smash that target this year.
“I will of course be joining in and I look forward to welcoming many others who are keen to put something back into their local community, help support our work and raise awareness of the growing dangers of exploitation facing young people both online and in our local communities.”
For more information and to sign up for the ‘Earth Wind and Fire’ adventure challenge, please visit https://www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk/earth-wind-and-fire-adventure-challenge/
