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Sheffield’s Snowdrop Project Wins National Charity Award

The Centre for Social Justice Awards 2021 has chosen the organisation as one of Britain’s best small charities from a national field of 127 candidates

A Sheffield charity providing long-term support to survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery has won Britain’s foremost charity contest, the annual Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Awards.

The Snowdrop Project, which was founded in 2012 and built on the needs of trafficking survivors, has emerged as one of just four winners across Britain. The award was presented by television presenter Charlie Webster via an online video.

163 adults and 77 children accessed Snowdrop’s services in 2019. The charity’s ethos is centred around survivors’ needs, which are rarely met by the State in the long term.

When survivors of modern slavery and trafficking find the Snowdrop Project, they are often suffering from unimaginable cruelty and exploitation. They typically have nothing, are extremely vulnerable and want to move on from their trauma.

Snowdrop gives each individual the chance to reclaim their dignity and life chances through a high-quality casework, counselling and community integration service.

Having recently acquired a 5-storey building in Sheffield city centre, the organisation will take up two floors and will rent out the remaining three floors to complimentary charities and services, with the vision of creating a ‘hub of help’ for survivors of trafficking.

Dubbed the UK’s ‘charity Oscars’, the Awards are being hosted as part of a bid to boost small UK charities, which have been struggling for over a year since Covid-19 lockdowns were first imposed.

The CSJ Awards are an annual, high profile award ceremony that honours the best grassroot, poverty-fighting charities and social enterprises from across Britain.

The UK’s top four small charities will each receive a prize for their work, consisting of £10,000 and profile-raising promotion from the CSJ.

Previous winners have variously been profiled on primetime television, had their services rolled out in every school across the country, and secured over £500,000 in additional funding due to the exposure the CSJ Awards gave them.

The 2021 winners were chosen from a field of 127 applicants, all with an annual turnover of £2million or less.

They are:

Oasis Community Centre & Gardens (Worksop, using gardening and floristry to teach employment, life, business and other skills to a wide range of people, including those unemployed, suffering from a disability, or experiencing mental health problems);
The Snowdrop Project (Sheffield, providing long-term support to survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery);
MCR Pathways (Scotland, offering a mentoring and talent development programme for young people within the Scottish care system, and eliminating the education and life chances gap for children in care);
One25 (Bristol, working in partnership with 70 local agencies to help marginalised women who have experienced domestic or sexual violence, and those struggling with addiction and homelessness, often in the city’s red light areas).

Since last year the event has been fully digital and widely shared on social media.

The CSJ has produced short films about each of the winners, which can be seen on the CSJ website.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former Conservative Party leader and CSJ co-founder, introduced the event with his own words of congratulation:

“Covid-19 won’t stop us from celebrating our incredible award-winning charities. The Awards is our chance to celebrate remarkable people who work tirelessly to help change lives for the better.

“One of the bright lights in the dark Covid-19 experience has been the evidence of community fellowship and local acts of kindness.

“Charities have been at the heart of this, supporting the most vulnerable in their communities and doing everything in their power to keep their services open as the world shutdown around them. They have been the unsung heroes of the hour, playing a crucial role in helping people deal with both the illness itself and the health implications (financial and mental) of the pandemic.

“The awards will celebrate the brave charities who have kept their doors open to serve those in need. We want to shine a light on these incredible organisations who rarely receive the recognition they deserve.

“We hope you will see what we see: dedicated organisations stopping at nothing, not even a global pandemic, to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people across Britain.”

Lara Bundock, CEO of The Snowdrop Project , said:

“We are thrilled to win one of the highly respected CSJ awards. To have our work and cause recognised on this platform gives us such a unique opportunity to raise the profile of why long-term support is key to the recovery of survivors of trafficking. We hope that those who watch the video and read about our vision will be inspired to find out more, become part of what we are doing and help us bring about the change that is needed so more survivors can unlock new futures.”

Andy Cook, Chief Executive of the Centre for Social Justice think tank, said:

“The CSJ Awards are a highlight of our year, as we can advance the cause of Britain’s best small charities, who are doing so much for this country.

“The Snowdrop Project has shown great courage and sensitivity in helping some of Sheffield’s most vulnerable victims of trafficking and modern slavery. Snowdrop’s success helping them into long-term education, employment and accommodation serves as a template for how we can roll back the epidemic of slavery and abuse facing our country.

“I congratulate them on winning the Award this year amid a strong field of candidates, and very much look forward to working with them.”