On Thursday 18th October, Sixth Form students of Oasis Academy Coulsdon pleaded with Edward Timpson MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families for more government funding to help victims of human traffiking. The Minister met with students when he visited the Academy as part of the Anti-Slavery Day/Stop The Traffik global awareness campaign to raise awareness of human traffiking. Prior to Edward Timpson's arrival, students heard the real-life experience from a victim of traffiking and how she had managed to escape her tormentors. Students also took part in a workshop run by Stop the Traffik and were shocked to learn how many young people were victims and in particular, the fact that Croydon has one of the highest rates of incidences of this nature in the UK.

Year 12 student, Ryan Bridge said: "I didn't realise it happened so much on our very own doorstep." Academy Head Girl, Sophie Hack, suggested that Stop the Traffik and the Government could make more use of social media to raise awareness amongst young people and this media could also be used to help fundraise to support victims.

Sophie said: "We raised over £300 within the Academy just by holding cake sales. Listening to the real-life experiences earlier has made us determined to raise more funds over the coming year." In fact students at Oasis Academy Coulsdon have raised more than £3,000 over a three year period for Stop the Traffik and Jenny Butcher, Assistant Head of Sixth Form who coordinates STT fundraising told Edward Timpson that the money raised by the Academy has helped provide an education for two young traffiking victims in Zimbabwe. Edward Timpson praised the Academy students for their creative fundraising ideas and said that Academy staff had been 'fantastic' in embedding support. He explained how important it was that all agencies shared knowledge to bring a coordinated approach to take immediate action to support victims. He commended the enthusiasm of Oasis Academy Coulsdon Sixth Form students and encouraged Academy staff and students to 'spread the word' amongst local leaders, other schools and young people to raise awareness and funds for victims.

Mr Timpson said: "Everyone should work together so that if someone is a victim immediate action is taken and support given. We in the government need to look into how we can make our borders better at spotting traffiking going in and out of the country and helping the police to spot the signs. We now have a proper strategy and we regularly review our progress to make sure we are fulfilling our aims. We are getting much better at spotting where potential victims may be traffiked and following through to give them support."

For more information about Stop the Traffik visit www.stopthetraffik.org