Children affected by exploitation to receive vital support thanks to £60k grant from Derbyshire Freemasons

Credit: Safe & Sound

Children and young people across Derbyshire who have been affected by child exploitation – particularly those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) – will receive vital help and support thanks to a £60,000 grant from Derbyshire Freemasons to specialist charity Safe and Sound.

The funding will support Safe and Sound’s Transforming Young Lives project, enabling the charity to provide specialist support to 30 young people each year over a three-year period.

The programme will focus primarily on children and young people with SEND, helping them to understand what has happened to them, stay safe, and begin to move forward with their lives. Last year, 51 per cent of young people supported by Safe and Sound either had a SEND diagnosis or were awaiting assessment.

The funding will make a significant difference to children and families by providing tailored, long-term support for as long as it is needed. While exploitation can happen to any child, those with SEND face increased risks.

Safe and Sound delivers individualised support plans based on each young person’s needs, alongside wider family support where appropriate. The charity also advocates on behalf of young people, working closely with partner agencies to ensure access to the right services at the right time.

According to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), children with vulnerabilities – including SEND – are seven times more likely to experience online harm during their lifetime, while children with a disability are at least three times more likely to experience sexual exploitation.

Communication challenges, social isolation and difficulties forming positive friendships can increase vulnerability, particularly online. When combined with increased use of gaming platforms and social media, these factors can heighten the risk of grooming and exploitation, including coercion into sharing self-generated sexual abuse material.

The grant from Derbyshire Freemasons is awarded through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends across England and Wales.

Tracy Harrison, CEO of Safe and Sound Charity said: “We’re very grateful to Derbyshire Freemasons for their generous grant. The demand for our services has increased significantly with more younger children being groomed. The funds raised will enable us to help and protect many more young people, provide a support lifeline to their families and continue to raise awareness of the mounting dangers facing young people both online and in our local communities.”

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Freemasons said: “I’m really pleased we’ve been able to help Safe and Sound with their vital project. It’s difficult for any of us to understand the impact of being groomed and exploited as a child. Safe and Sound’s work is hugely important for children and families to overcome their ordeal and move on as a family. We all have children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces- we need to talk more about exploitation and how we can prevent it.”