Charity Ambassador Appeals For Vigilance

BAFTA award winning actress Molly Windsor has made an online appeal for families to be vigilant about young people’s online activity in her capacity as ambassador for Derbyshire charity Safe and Sound.

Molly, who lives in Derbyshire, won a BAFTA for her role in television drama ‘Three Girls’ about the Rochdale child sexual exploitation prosecutions.

She has since been heavily involved with Safe and Sound which supports children and young people across Derbyshire who are victims of or at risk of child exploitation - which includes sexual exploitation, gangs, County Lines, modern slavery and trafficking - as well as their families.

There is emerging evidence that an increasing number of criminals are capitalising on lockdown by grooming young people online – whether that is to persuade them to share sexually explicit images or to manipulate them into drug running activities.

Molly has produced a series of videos with Safe and Sound – appealing to parents to monitor who their children are talking to online and to strengthen privacy settings.

She also assures viewers that Safe and Sound is continuing to work with young people despite lockdown and the range of information available on the website www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk

Molly said: “In these difficult times, it is more important than ever to be vigilant online and question who young people are talking to and meeting up with just as you would in the outside world.

“I was particularly shocked with the National Crime Agency’s comments that there were over 300,000 people in the UK who posed a serious threat to children and young people.

“Just as Covid-19 does not discriminate who it targets, any child and young person regardless of their background, culture or family circumstances, is in danger of exploitation.”

Safe and Sound Chief Executive Tracy Harrison added: “We are very grateful to Molly and all our Ambassadors’ support during these difficult times.

“With everyone spending so much more time online, we felt that these video messages shared through our social media would be the best way to share this important information and to encourage families to find out more on our website.”

During the lockdown, Safe and Sound is available online for private conversations on Facebook with young people themselves, parents, other family members and fellow professionals between 10am and 11am and 3pm and 4pm or available by telephone on 07726 694680.

Messages received on Facebook or Instagram outside these times will be responded to daily and feedback to commonly asked questions will be anonymised and posted elsewhere on their website.

This is in addition to the usual ways to contact Safe and Sound between 9am and 5pm on 01332 362120 and email info@safeandsoundgroup.org.uk  and anyone with urgent concerns about the wellbeing or safeguarding of a child or young person are advised to call 101.

For more information about Safe and Sound, information about the danger signs, support available and how to support the charity’s work, please visit www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk  and follow on social media channels.

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