London, Friday 26th June – The October Club officially launched its 2026 partnership with STOP THE TRAFFIK at a special event held yesterday evening at the House of Commons. Hosted by Claire Coutinho MP and Samantha Huggins, Chair of the October Club, the gathering took place in warm summer weather and brought together a mix of guests, including representatives of STOP THE TRAFFIK, The October Club Committee, and our key supporters.
The mission of STOP THE TRAFFIK is to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking through an intelligence-led approach. The charity collects and analyses data on human trafficking patterns and uses the intelligence to build community resilience and disrupt organised crime networks, in collaboration with social media platforms, businesses, banks and law enforcement.
Rebekah Lisgarten, the CEO of STOP THE TRAFFIK, delivered a powerful and moving address on the devastating reality faced by people – including children – who are ensnared by criminal gangs and coerced into drug running or sexual exploitation. Rebekah reinforced the message that this is not just a distant problem, it is happening across Britain too, and she shared her excitement about the charity’s ability to expand their Safer Futures programme with the funds raised this year. Safer Futures is specifically designed to prevent children from being drawn into criminal activity by collecting bespoke information about the ways gangs operate and equipping young people with the knowledge to recognise and resist such dangers. It has proven its effectiveness in eight English cities, and will now be extended across England.
The passion and commitment in Rebekah’s words set an inspiring tone for what promises to be an exciting fundraising year ahead.
The evening on the terraces of the House of Commons was generously sponsored by BTIG.
For more information about STOP THE TRAFFIK, please visit www.stopthetraffik.org
For enquiries, please contact enquiries@theoctoberclub.co.uk
About The October Club: Each year since its launch in 1987, The October Club has selected a UK-based charity with a transformational project to benefit from its annual fundraising activities. To date, it has raised over £17m for 38 charities, including last year’s £800,000 raised in aid of Spark Inside.