LiberateUK was founded by Leah Pimm. Leah has many years of experience working with survivors of modern-day slavery and human trafficking and supporting a number of children and adults claiming asylum in this country. Over the years she has experienced working in different roles within the sector, including working as a key worker for asylum seekers and a support worker in male and female safe houses, as a local authority foster carer, specialising in the care of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, looking after child survivors of modern-day slavery in a safe house setting, supporting police welfare checks and raids and undertaking advocacy work for young asylum seekers. Leah is passionate about the welfare and respectful treatment of individuals who arrive in this country, whether by force or to seek refuge. Recognising this passion, Leah decided to take the step to begin LiberateUK to fill a space in the sector that she believes is paramount to seeing individuals that are at risk of exploitation, truly thrive, regain autonomy over their lives and discover a sense of belonging within their communities. Leah believes that this can be achieved through quality support that listens, educates and equips. LiberateUK will have at its core the principle that quality is far more impactful than quantity – our focus will not be on mass numbers of clients but instead on offering each individual bespoke and care-filled support, meeting their specific needs and enabling them to flourish in their own unique way.
Leah has had the privilege of working with a number of excellent organisations and charities in Bristol over the years and is linked in with the wide network that is already in place offering support to people claiming asylum or rebuilding their lives after surviving slavery. However, she became increasingly aware that the number of these people needing support is growing rapidly, hugely stretching this network. Charities are reaching their capacity to meet the needs of all those requiring support and as a result, sadly, people are falling under the radar and disengaging. Leah has witnessed the harsh reality of perpetrators taking advantage of these vulnerable individuals and luring them into criminal activity. When these individuals have been left without informed influence and thus knowledge of the British legal system, societal expectations and consequences; they make decisions from a place of inexperience, isolation and desperation. We believe that LiberateUK works as an asset to the extensive network that is already in place and we work closely with this network to identify and pick up the support of these disengaged and isolated individuals to ensure that they receive the care and individually tailored support that they deserve and need.