On Thursday October 27th, the New Start Bags Newcastle upon Tyne Soroptimists and other clubs in the Northern region had collected were presented to Detective Inspector Claire Wheatley of Northumbria Police. She spoke on the subject of her work with trafficked people. She described the problems the police have with gaining the trust of the trafficked people. She explained that the clothes they were wearing reminded them of the trauma they had experienced. The contents of the New Start bags were a very vital part in helping them settle into their new lives. Often there are tears when they see the bags as they realise that other people care for them. It was a ‘light bulb’ moment as they were beginning to feel safe and valued.
Eighteen bags were handed over and four other clubs were involved: S.I. Durham, S.I. Darlington, S.I. Tynedale and S.I. Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. This interclub liaison built on our joint work on the UN Gift Box project earlier on in the year.
