Evaluating local initiatives and partnerships to end human exploitation and modern-day slavery: our work with Transforming Communities Together
Established in 2014, Transforming Communities Together (TCT) has a reputation for innovative and generous leadership, having launched a range of initiatives to tackle homelessness, modern slavery, mental ill-health, and beyond. TCT is a regional charity working with individuals, faith groups and communities in the Midlands and the Black Country on a range of social issues.
With partnership development funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, TCT commissioned us to review and assess recent anti-modern slavery and human exploitation action in the region. This also involved examining the recent efforts to awareness-raise, and the role of strategic partnerships in reducing human exploitation and supporting victims after it has happened. Alongside this, we have contributed to TCT’s business planning, project development, and fundraising support.
Through our assessment and consultation, we found that partnership activities and awareness raising have had a significant and far-reaching impact – strong partnerships of local and faith organisations are a viable and powerful path towards supporting victims and survivors of human trafficking. We were proud to note that TCT have long been forerunners of such an approach. To take the most recent example, the organisation has partnered with Mother’s Union (a Civil Society organisation based in nearby Lichfield) to deliver online workshops to help people recognise and report modern slavery.
We also found that TCT had strong support from neighbouring civil society and faith-based organisations to continue to facilitate this network in addressing modern slavery. These outcomes are detailed in our report, which has been produced for Transforming Communities Together with a view to enhance a large grant application to the National Lottery.
On our work for the organisation, the Revd Dr David Primrose, Chief Executive Officer, TCT Wolverhampton, commented:
“Transforming Communities Together has grown, in six years, from a small charity of £50k/year to a medium charity of £350k/year. With that growth has come the need to develop robust business plans and to articulate a coherent strategy. Mark Ereira-Guyer’s input, and Civil Society Consulting CIC, has been most valuable, combining clear thinking with purposefulness.
Working collaboratively on several different commissions, the outcomes have had both immediate benefits and established sound pathways into the future. The robust challenges have been shared gracefully and ensured sustainable growth. The team recently completed a review of our partnership development work to tackle modern slavery and human exploitation in our charity’s area of benefit.”
Our Senior Associate James Baddeley continues to work with Transforming Communities Together following the publication of the Modern Slavery report to deliver fundraising consultancy support.
