A major new campaign has been launched bringing together different organisations to speak with one voice against violence, exploitation and organised crime in Bedfordshire.

Bedfordshire Against Violence and Exploitation (BAVEX) will raise awareness around things like modern slavery, cuckooing and child sexual exploitation in the county.

The project, which launches on today’s (Thursday) national child exploitation awareness day, has worked with a series of different groups in Bedfordshire to spread its messages as far as possible.

A new website also goes live today, detailing the partnership response to different types of exploitation in Bedfordshire and how people can get help.

You can download all of the campaign materials via the Our Campaign section of the BAVEX website.

 

BAVEX is backed by a wide range of different organisations in the county, both statutory as well as charities.

As well as the police, this includes the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, Luton Council, the Bedfordshire and Luton Clinical Commissioning Groups, the Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU), Azalea, Crimestoppers, Link to Change, the Luton Homeless Partnership and the Modern Slavery Helpline.