Today is Freedom Sunday. With the help of the Clewer Initiative, we’ve been looking in
this diocese at how we can help combat modern slavery. Recently Doug Chaplin met
Jared and Helen Hodgson, of Bromsgrove, who’ve founded a charity to help churches and
Christian volunteers offer support to freed slaves. This is what they say about their work:
“We became aware that modern slavery still existed on a family trip to India. On our
return, we discovered that slavery is rife in the UK and survivors are often left destitute
and open to being re-trafficked. We decided that, like William Wilberforce, we couldn’t
‘look away’ so opened up our home to survivors thus beginning the small seed of Hope
at Home.
“Several years later, Hope at Home
now provides a hosting scheme
across the UK for survivors unable
to access other housing. We
train support hosts and arrange
placements for survivors. Our hosts offer a stable home, giving the opportunity to
breathe out and focus on recovery. We also work alongside professional agencies able
to provide long term support.”
Please pray for the survivors to find sustainable freedom, for ongoing funding for our
work and for more hosts to open up their homes to meet this need.
Stourport Deanery – Rural Dean: Mark Turner, Lay Chair: Andrew Quinn
The Church of the Province of West Africa: Archbishop Dr Daniel Sarfo
Diocese of Växjö (Sweden): Bishop Fredrik Modéus
Diocese of Oxford: Bishop Steven Croft with Bishops Andrew Proud (Reading), Colin Fletcher
(Dorchester), Alan Wilson (Buckingham)
