New charity aims to protect children from sexual exploitation, child abuse and child trafficking

Professor Andrew Rowland

Fighting sexual exploitation, child abuse and child trafficking in the North-West is the aim of a new charity, SicKids.

Campaigners believe every child should have every chance of good health, happiness and protection from harm. The charity will raise money to support projects working with children and young people in the region.

The charity comes a year after the launch of Professor Andrew Rowland’s Churchill Fellowship report, “Living on a Railway Line”, which set out 10 recommendations for the UK to improve lives and communities for children.

Points included better training to recognise and respond to cases of exploitation, prohibiting physical punishment, better advocacy on behalf of young people and the mandatory reporting of child abuse.

Professor Rowland, founder and medical director of the charity, said: “The response to ‘Living on a Railway Line’ has been fantastic.”

Over the past year the professor has lectured around the world on the findings of his report and in March attended a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by the Queen, where he discussed his findings.

www.sickids.co.uk