Forced labour is a profound human rights abuse. It happens when people are forced to work through threats, coercion, deception or abuse, and are unable to leave. It can happen in workplaces, private homes and communities, often hidden in plain sight.

Globally, an estimated 27.6 million people are in forced labour.

Modern slavery affects an estimated 130,000 people in the UK, although the true number is likely to be higher because much of the exploitation remains hidden. In 2025, more than 23,400 potential victims of modern slavery were referred to UK authorities — the highest annual figure since the National Referral Mechanism began.

Forced labour and modern slavery can take many forms. People may be exploited in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, domestic work, hospitality, care and other sectors. Exploitation can involve withheld wages, excessive working hours, debt, threats, violence, restrictions on movement or control over accommodation and immigration status.

This is not an abstract or distant problem. It can affect people working in businesses and services we encounter every day. It can mean someone going to work because they are afraid of what will happen if they do not; being unable to leave an abusive employer; working for little or no pay; or living in accommodation controlled by the person exploiting them.

Forced labour strips people of their freedom, dignity and ability to choose how they live and work. Tackling it means addressing the conditions that allow exploitation to happen, holding those who profit from it to account, and creating systems in which everyone can work free from coercion and abuse.

Our work is dependent on donations from people who share our vision. This includes individuals, philanthropists, companies, trusts and foundations. Our fundraising model concentrates our efforts into one major, high-value event every three or four years. In 2023, TASC held its first charity gala, raising £1.1 million through the generosity of many supporters and donors. This is not planned every year because events of this scale take considerable time and planning to deliver, requiring a substantial lead-in period, and significant commitment from our staff and Board of Trustees.

The unrestricted income raised through this event provides funding for the charity’s core operating costs over a multi-year period. This gives us greater financial stability and allows our team to focus on delivering our charitable mission, rather than fundraising year-round.
Our gala income is complemented by a small number of strategic grants and long-term donor relationships. This additional funding is used to strengthen and expand our programmes, enabling us to increase our impact and reach more people. You can read more about our funding on our Charity Commission page.

We are a policy, advocacy and communications organisation, rather than a frontline service provider. Our impact comes from our dedicated staff, who directly deliver our charitable programmes. The majority of our spending therefore supports the people doing this work. Our staff lead research projects on the causes of forced labour, develop policy solutions, engage with decision-makers, build public support, lead public campaigns and build strategic partnerships to create change.

The generous support we receive enables us to:

• conduct technical research and develop policy recommendations;
• design and facilitate discussions with businesses on responsible business practices;
• administer grants to grassroots organisations;
• contribute expertise and leadership to anti-human trafficking forums;
• develop training and educational materials for young people;
• run workshops with people with lived experience; and
• develop communications, campaigns and other materials to challenge forced labour.

In short, our funding enables us to use research, policy, advocacy and communications to influence laws, business practices and public attitudes, and address the root causes of forced labour.

A reserves policy is a formal statement developed and approved by a charity’s trustees that explains how much money a charity keeps in reserve, why that amount is needed, and how it will be managed. 

Our reserves policy concentrates fundraising efforts into one major, high-value event hosted every three or four years. Net income from that event underwrites the charity’s core costs across a multi year period, providing financial stability, and enabling staff to focus their efforts on the core mission of the charity. 

A multi year cycle fundraising model provides the charity with greater financial stability – giving Trustees and senior management more certainty when planning programmes, hiring staff, and committing to partnerships. It also supports long-term planning – allowing us to make decisions based on where we believe we can achieve the greatest impact, rather than what can be funded immediately. Over the course of this period, staff are focused on our mission reducing the need for ongoing fundraising and allowing more time for programme design, delivery, impact. It also improves fundraising efficiency, gives our valued supporters a clear understanding that their support contributes to a defined period of financial stability and impact. 

Overall, the policy is designed to give the charity greater stability, reduce the burden of continual fundraising and enable us to plan and deliver our work for greater long-term impact.