The Snowdrop Project

“The Snowdrop Project is named thus because, as the first flower of spring, the Snowdrop must overcome the harsh, cold realities of winter in order to bloom. Survivors of human trafficking are just like the Snowdrop. They have demonstrated incredible strength and resilience to overcome the abuses they have endured and now they have the chance to start a fresh and break forth in to a new season.” The Snowdrop Project

Snowdrop Project is a charity based in Sheffield (which strikes a cord for me as its the town of my birth!) and it was founded by Lara Bundock, who saw the great need for quality, long term aftercare for victims of human trafficking and slavery. Human trafficking and slavery is far more prevalent in the UK than you might think and the victims of these horrific crimes need a huge amount of care and support to put their lives back together.

Victims at present only receive 45 days of aftercare from the government, in some cases this is extended to 90 days. However, victims of trafficking and slavery can take much longer to process their trauma than 45 days and so this period of time needs to be longer in order that the support is there when they are most in need. I wrote in Beetroot Bread: Is It Really Working? about the need for a holistic approach to slavery and trafficking and that swooping in with a quick fix won’t solve anything long term. This arthritis of our world needs a carefully constructed care plan, and thats where The Snowdrop Project does such an amazing job.

The Snowdrop Project has recognised the need for long term care and provision. They offer help and support in a multitude of different ways and state on their website that they value an individual approach to each victim they work with, as their needs will all be different. When you navigate around their website you realise that this charity is not just about care, its about love.

The Snowdrop Project have 6 different categories on their website to explain the way in which they work:

One To One Support: meeting a victim one-to-one, on a personal level, through senior caseworkers and trained volunteer support
Community Development: helping victims to socialise within the community and learn life skills and find hobbies
Renovations: they do renovation projects on houses in order to create a home for victims, rather than just a place to stay
Training and Consultation: all staff and volunteers are trained by leading professionals in anti-trafficking and The Snowdrop Project also offers training to other organisations
Fundraising: is done to support The Snowdrop Projects work and also the work of other organisations striving in this field
Awareness Raising: raising awareness is a big part of getting on top of this problem and they manage this through social media, public speaking events and partnership with other organisations

I love the ethos of The Snowdrop Project. It is about giving back and supporting others, and not just within their own entity but also on a larger scale by connecting with other organisations who are also fighting this fight too. By supporting those organisations and also learning from them, the Snowdrop Project is showing itself to be part of a team of warriors, out there each day, fighting until this war is over. They also show great humility in knowing that they can’t do it alone but that in basing their values and approach on Jesus’s love and healing power great things can happen.

We are motivated by God’s heart
For the poor, oppressed and marginalised: Snowdrop Project is founded on the values and vision of Jesus. When we look at His character we see a man who went to those in need to bring comfort and restoration. We are committed to following this example in demonstrating real compassion and transformational love to the people and communities we encounter.
The Snowdrop Project

This video below gives you a quick look at The Snowdrop Projects work: