Double your donation – and keep our vital Helpline running
Will you dig deep this Christmas and help victims of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and other forms of modern slavery?
From midday Tuesday 29 November to midday Tuesday 6 December, all donations to Unseen’s Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline will be doubled at no cost to you, thanks to the annual Big Give match-funding scheme.
Operating 24/7, 365 days a year, and available in over 200 languages, Unseen’s Helpline gives free, confidential advice to thousands* of victims who have nowhere else to turn.
Our expert Helpline advisors work round-the-clock to support victims, liaising with police and others to get them to safety.
Uniquely, data from this vital lifeline provides critical intelligence that informs the anti-slavery work of governments, police, businesses and other charities, ultimately helping more victims.
Your donation could make a real difference
- £14 will provide one hour of a specialist advisor’s time to answer Helpline calls
- £30 will fund a half-hour call with vital translation services, to assist vulnerable people in over 200 languages
- £50 will keep our Helpline open overnight to take calls from potential victims, whenever they need us
- £100 will fund a full day of vital translation services, allowing us to communicate with victims in over 200 languages.
Modern slavery and the cost-of-living crisis
There are more than 100,000 victims of modern slavery across the UK. The cost-of-living crisis is set to make matters worse, pushing more people into poverty and making them vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation.
We have already seen a significant increase in calls to our Helpline**, and as pressures on individuals and families increases, we expect demand for help to grow.
For one week only from midday Tuesday 29 November to midday Tuesday 6 December, all donations to this vital service will be doubled at no cost to you.
Will you fund our Helpline this Christmas and help more vulnerable people escape exploitation?
Unseen’s Helpline in action – Linh’s story
When Linh*** started working in a family home in Leicestershire, she couldn’t have imagined she would be trapped in a life of domestic servitude.
Aged 32, Linh was forced to cook, clean and look after children, morning until night. She had no day off and was paid a pittance.
Unable to leave, she became a prisoner in the house, her every step watched by CCTV. Visits to her family in Vietnam, where her two children lived, were strictly prohibited.
For Linh, this was her life for the next five years.
Exhausted and emaciated, one morning when her exploiter was out, Linh took the brave decision to share her story with a compassionate member of staff at the local supermarket. Concerned, the shop assistant immediately called the Helpline.
Gina, the Helpline Advisor who dealt with Linh’s case, recalls: “When Linh reached out for support, she was disoriented and scared, and desperately wanted out of her situation.
“She had children that she’d been unable to see for years and was afraid for their wellbeing. Arranging a timely extraction with the police was critical for Linh’s safety.”
Following her escape, the Helpline linked Linh to all the right support and, crucially, ensured she had somewhere safe to live. Finally, Linh was free.
Linh’s case is just one of many. There are potentially thousands more Linhs still out there, currently being exploited.
“Sadly, this story is not unique,” says Natasha Mitra, Head of Helpline Services at the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline.
“We receive hundreds of calls like this all the time, with men, women and children in urgent need of our help.”
Please spare what you can today so our Helpline can continue to be there for victims of slavery and exploitation.
