Anti-Slavery Week 2026: Shropshire Council information pack produced to highlight awareness of modern slavery

Shropshire Council has put together a resources pack to highlight anti-slavery actions here in Shropshire, which is now available on our website.

It links into national October Black History Month observations as well as actions around Hate Crime Awareness Week and Anti-Slavery Week.

This year, Anti-Slavery Week 2026 runs from 12 to 18 October, culminating in Anti-Slavery Day on 18 October. The week provides an opportunity for organisations, professionals, communities and individuals to reflect on their understanding of modern slavery, strengthen safeguarding practices, and demonstrate a collective commitment to ending exploitation.

The council is asking people to think about this in the context of the transatlantic slave trade, and to reflect upon all that was done in Shropshire to campaign for the abolition of slavery then, and how this links to anti-slavery actions now.

Councillor Andy Hall, portfolio holder for children and education, said

“This Anti-Slavery Week information pack is not only an educational resource but also a stark reminder of what people went through during the transatlantic slave trade, and what people who are victims of modern slavery or at risk of modern slavery are going through today. There is much we can all do together.

“The archive material provides a fascinating insight into Shropshire’s historical links to abolition and celebrates the contributions of individuals from diverse backgrounds who have shaped our county’s history. The pack strikes an appropriate balance between education, reflection and action. It encourages people to understand the past and to consider what they can do today to identify and challenge modern slavery in all its forms.

“I would like to invite people to take a closer look at the information pack on our website, and to consider, as individuals and within organisations, what we can all do to tackle modern slavery. In so doing, we reflect upon narratives from the transatlantic slave trade that reverberate for families in Shropshire today.

“We also celebrate the actions taken in Shropshire to advocate for the abolition of slavery and honour the achievements of people in Shropshire who emerged from the slave trade and contributed to our local history.

“Our thanks in particular to Laura Lightbody for writing and sharing her own family narrative. It is a necessary read, and very much adds to our collective understanding of the transatlantic slave trade.

“Shropshire Council is taking this opportunity to respect and honour those who have suffered in the past and those who stood up for them, including through the transatlantic slave trade, and those who need our support and for us to stand up now, including victims of modern slavery.”

The information pack is set out in three parts as follows:

• Transatlantic slavery through one Shropshire family’s perspective: what can their journey tells us
• Modern slavery: what does this look like and what can we do
• Actions against slavery in Shropshire: what can the Archives tell us and what can we celebrate about local people’s lives.

Notes to Editors

From the transatlantic slave trade to the modern forms of exploitation we see today, slavery has not disappeared. It has simply evolved.

Many of us are familiar with educational initiatives such as Show Racism the Red Card, which help us understand the lasting impact of racism and historical slavery.

Whilst the abolition of the slave trade was a significant milestone, the exploitation of human beings did not end. Instead, it adapted to changing societies and economies, becoming less visible but no less harmful.

Today, this exploitation is known as modern slavery.

Modern slavery encompasses a range of abuses including human trafficking, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude, debt bondage, and the coercion of people into criminal activities. Victims can be adults or children, British nationals or foreign nationals, and exploitation can happen in cities, towns, rural communities, businesses, and even within families.

Slavery has changed, not gone away.

Modern slavery does not always involve chains or visible imprisonment. Control is often achieved through intimidation, violence, grooming, psychological manipulation, debt, threats, substance misuse, or the withholding of identification documents.

Children may be groomed into county lines drug supply, criminal exploitation, or sexual exploitation. Adults may be exploited through forced labour, domestic servitude, or trafficking. Victims frequently do not recognise themselves as victims due to the manipulation and control exerted by perpetrators.

This resources pack has been put together in order to highlight anti-slavery actions here in Shropshire. It links into national October Black History Month observations as well as actions around Hate Crime Awareness Week and Anti-Slavery Week.

Anti-Slavery Week takes place in the same week as Hate Crime Awareness Week, which concludes with Show Racism the Red Card Day on Friday 16 October 2026.

The council already works with the national charity Show Racism the Red Card on their initiative every year, along with partner organisations including local unions and the NHS. More information on this will be available through linked publicity materials on the Shropshire Council website at www.shropshire.gov.uk, including how to report a hate crime. Racism is a form of hate crime, and we will not condone any hate crime in any form.

If people would like to share their knowledge and perspectives about their families, or look into the archives to find out more, the Archives service would be delighted to hear from them and to assist them. Please contact archives@shropshire.gov.uk