City Hearts has rebranded to Causeway to emphasise its commitment to supporting all marginalised and vulnerable people.
The charity, which formed in 2005 and has primarily supported survivors of modern slavery, now aims to support all marginalised and vulnerable people under its new name.
It spent £50,000 on the rebrand and hired consultants from Appetite to work alongside its management team to develop its new purpose, vision, brand and strategy.
The charity, which has an income of £6m, chose to change its name to Causeway to emphasise its role in helping marginalised people bridge the gap back into society.
Meanwhile, the charity recently appointed a survivor of modern slavery to its board of trustees for the first time.
New brand ‘to celebrate expertise’
Chief executive Ed Newton said: “Whilst the modern slavery and violence reduction arms of Causeway both focus on the support and rehabilitation journey of vulnerable people, the areas are not as distinct as they seem.
“Those who find themselves in a cycle of crime, arrest, and incarceration, have often experienced trauma, or have issues that needs addressing, in a similar way to those of survivors of exploitation.
“Our work across both areas of support means that we have become experts in the field of supporting vulnerable people, and helping them address the issues that prevent them from progressing back into society and living functioning lives. We want our new brand to celebrate this expertise, and our focus on helping people from all walks of life.”
Trustee with lived experience
For the first time, the charity has also appointed a survivor of modern slavery to its board so a “survivor voice” can be heard “at the centre of its operations”.
Mominul Hamid came to the UK from Bangladesh as a student. He was persuaded into an arranged marriage a few years later and was consequently blackmailed, threatened and abused by his new father-in-law.
Hamid was forced to work for free in his new family’s restaurant and was assaulted or starved whenever he complained.
He was freed by police after he managed to call a modern slavery helpline and was supported by Causeway case workers between 2019 and 2021.
Since this traumatic experience, he has been passionate about raising awareness of modern slavery in the UK and is working towards a law degree to help other vulnerable people.
He said: “My desire to become a trustee and follow a career in law stems from my personal experience of being a victim of slavery and trafficking in the UK.
“Due to this incident in my life, I now suffer with severe PTSD, mobility problems and other health conditions.
“I have also experienced injustice in the asylum system which has led to a desire to work within the Bar, and in the Court of Protection, so that I can represent victims of modern slavery and trafficking.”
Newton added: “We are delighted to have Mominul Hamid’s insight and expertise on our trustee board. Having a survivor of modern slavery on the board ensures the charity is well placed to deliver best practice, and ensure its service users lie at the heart of decision making and policy.”
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