A message from Snowdrop's CEO, Rachel Medina

"The Snowdrop Project started with passion, determination and the dream of a future free from modern slavery (and maybe a little naivety!).

The seed that was Snowdrop grew as a result of dedicated people giving their time and setting out to make their dream into something tangible, that would make a difference in Sheffield and beyond.

I remember the early days - writing a business plan and deciding on the mission, vision and values of Snowdrop (while our founding CEO bounced my baby son on her knee); recruiting and training our first group of volunteers; the first group of clients we supported in November 2012. At the time, those women were the only survivors in the whole of the UK to receive long-term support. It was pioneering. It was real. And it was only the beginning.

Snowdrop was welcomed in to the anti-slavery sector in the UK. We linked arms with organisations, individuals, professionals and those with lived-experience, all of whom labour every day to make the UK a fairer and more just society.

Many people are curious about why the organisation is called "the Snowdrop Project". Names are important - they give identity and can promote belonging.

In fact, the first survivors we worked with chose our name. It was important to them that the name wasn’t associated with slavery, because their identity was more than their experiences. They didn’t want to be labelled by the name of their support agency. As different ideas were discussed with the group, the name "Snowdrop" stood out from the rest. Snowdrops are an incredible flower. They are one of the first flowers to push through in the spring, overcoming ice and snow in order to bloom - they are remarkably resilient. This was an important symbol for our service users - a signal of new beginnings, strength, resilience and hope for the future.

There are so many milestones we have achieved over the last 12 years, many extraordinary people who have joined us along the way as we have journeyed alongside hundreds of women, men and families to recover and thrive beyond their experiences of exploitation.

The timeline below gives a quick overview of our journey, and the rest of the website will tell you more about what we do and the people we support.

2012: The Snowdrop Project's launch! In the same year, we trained our first six volunteer caseworkers, who would take on our first eight referrals.

2013: We were invited to meet the All-Parliamentary Group Against Trafficking, and we were awarded the Marsh Award for oustanding contribution to the fight against moden slavery.

2014: Snowdrop officially became a charity.

2015: We launched our counselling service, and leased our very own office.

2016: We successfully applied for funding from the Big Lottery, which allowed us to employ staff. Thanks to funding from the Brown Source Trust, we also began supporting male survivors. Our staff grew from zero to nine!

2017: We celebrated our fifth birthday with a black tie event at Millennium Gallery. 

2018: We moved from Carver Street to Furnival Gate. 

2019: Snowdrop's longest standing volunteer, Helen Jones, received the Prime Minister’s Points of Light award. 

2020: We expanded our services to reach Barnsley, launched the training framework for the Identification, Care and Support of Victims and Survivors of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, and completed the purchase of our new building.

2021: We won the Centre for Social Justice award, and partnered with the British Red Cross and Hope for Justice to develop the Independent Modern Slavery Advocate model.

2022: We celebrated 10 years of the Snowdrop Project! 

2023: Rachel took over as CEO. In the same year, we were visited by Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Bishop of Sheffield. We also lowered our referral age from 18 to 16 years old. 

Although it started as a small idea, it has grown into a vision of a better world that is championed by many dedicated people, both within and beyond the organisation.

It’s no secret that these are extremely challenging times to operate in. The economic climate and cost of living crisis has impacted everyone, with significant consequences for Snowdrop as an organisation. Coupled with a hostile political environment, which makes it harder for survivors to access the support they need, we’ve seen demand for our services increase year-on-year.

 In 2023, we supported 274 adults and 119 children – the most we’ve ever supported in one year. This year, we predict demand for our services will rise again. However, despite these challenges, we’ll keep doing everything we can to support our beneficiaries into their bright futures, free from modern slavery.

One of my proudest achievements is helping to establish the Snowdrop Project, and I’m proud to take the organisation forwards into the future. You can join us in the fight for a future free from modern slavery and exploitation by donating or signing up to our mailing list."