Salvation Army frontline hero receives modern slavery award

Norree Webb has received a prestigious Human Trafficking Foundation award for her outstanding compassion and dedication to helping survivors of modern slavery rebuild their lives. Norree, who recently retired as First Responder Coordinator, received this award in recognition of more than 15 years of exceptional work supporting survivors of modern slavery. 

Norree received the Rebuilding Lives Award at this year’s Human Trafficking Foundation Anti-Slavery Day Awards, held in Parliament which was attended by Satvir Kaur MP, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and girls, Rt Hon Dame Karen Bradley MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery and Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker of the House of Commons. The ceremony recognised people making an outstanding contribution to tackling human trafficking and modern slavery and supporting those affected by exploitation. 

The Rebuilding Lives Award celebrates Norree’s dedication to helping potential victims access safety and specialist support, as well as her wider contribution to improving how professionals identify and respond to modern slavery. During more than 15 years with The Salvation Army’s Anti Trafficking and Modern Slavery team, Norree has conducted over 2,000 interviews with potential victims, meeting people in hospitals, prisons, and safe community settings. Her patience and compassion has helped people feel safe enough to talk about their experiences, while her determination has helped ensure that barriers to support are not simply accepted. 

Norree began her work in modern slavery as a volunteer driver before becoming a volunteer First Responder and later Anti-Trafficking and Modern Slavery First Responder Response Coordinator. Alongside her direct work with potential victims, she has trained professionals across policing, healthcare, prisons, local government and the voluntary sector, helping improve the identification of people who may have experienced modern slavery. 

First Responders play a vital role in helping people take the first step towards safety and access protection and support. They are often among the first people to speak with someone who has escaped exploitation or been identified as a potential victim. 

The Salvation Army’s Volunteer First Responders listen to people’s experiences - conversations require great sensitivity and patience, as people may be frightened or traumatised by their experiences. They then pass this information to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the Government’s system for identifying victims where officials decide if there are reasonable grounds to believe someone may be a victim of modern slavery. A positive decision enables someone to access specialist support through a Government contract, which The Salvation Army, with our delivery partners, has managed in England and Wales since 2011, helping survivors recover and rebuild their lives. 

Major Kathy Betteridge, The Salvation Army’s Director of Anti-Trafficking and Modern Slavery, said: 

“Norree could not be more deserving of this award. Throughout her time in our Anti Trafficking and Modern Slavery team, she has gone above and beyond to advocate for survivors of modern slavery, bringing extraordinary compassion, professionalism and unrelentless determination to everything she does. 

“What makes this award particularly special is the strength of feeling behind it. Survivors, the volunteer First Responders and many statutory partners, including the prison service, police and Home Office decision makers, all spoke of her compassion, her determination to ensure survivors receive the support they need, and the exceptional quality of her referrals, training and advice. 

“Norree has made a lasting difference not only to the people she has helped directly, but also to the many professionals she has trained and supported. Her work has helped strengthen the wider response to modern slavery, and her legacy will continue through the people and services she has influenced. We are incredibly proud of her and delighted that her contribution has been recognised in this way.” 

The Salvation Army is also congratulating Marina Jenkins of ITV News West Country, who won the award for Best News Piece Dealing with Modern Slavery. 

Her news feature, ‘I wanted to end my life’: Modern slavery survivor forced to work night and day as care worker, gave a survivor living in a Salvation Army safehouse the opportunity to share her experiences and highlighted the support provided as well as shining a light on the vital work of The Salvation Army’s First Responders through an interview with Ian Gee, a volunteer First Responder in Devon. Marina’s entry was selected ahead of strong competition from leading national newspapers, including The Sun, The Telegraph and The Times. Her award recognises the importance of sensitive, responsible journalism in raising awareness of modern slavery, helping the public understand the experiences of survivors and highlighting the support available to those affected. 

The Salvation Army congratulates Norree and Marina on their well-deserved awards and thanks everyone working to identify, protect and support people affected by modern slavery.