UK Fast Food Chain Joins Forces with Children’s Society to Combat Child Exploitation

The Children’s Society and Chicken Cottage, a UK-based fast food chain, have teamed up in a pioneering effort to combat child exploitation. The partnership aims to educate staff across Chicken Cottage’s 70 UK outlets on identifying the signs of child exploitation.

Their recent store opening in Luton is the latest to integrate this new initiative. Employees have been fully trained to spot and handle cases of exploitation from the very beginning.

“This is not a one-size-fits-all solution to an incredibly distressing problem,” stated Rowan Glover-James, head of corporate engagement for The Children’s Society. “Nevertheless, reaching children and young people where they are, like in takeaway shops, can be a potentially effective strategy.”

The charity hopes that this partnership will prevent further incidents of child exploitation in Luton, raising awareness and understanding of the horrendous crime among locals.

Crime and violence potentially endanger one in every 24 youth aged 11-17 in England, while less than half of secondary school students in the country feel safe in their communities at night.

As per the Children’s Society, exploiters often gain the trust of youth by offering food and clothes before forcing them into sexual abuse, slave labour, or criminal activities such as drug smuggling and money laundering.

The charity sees the hospitality and retail sectors as pivotal in eradicating abuse. As part of its #LookCloser campaign, it seeks to raise awareness around the signs of exploitation.

Starting February, Chicken Cottage began working with the Children’s Society to create safer environments for youth at its franchises throughout the UK. The staff participated in the charity’s Act on Exploitation training.

This collaboration extends to cities such as Manchester, Newcastle, and Greater London, and provides fundraising opportunities for the charity in Chicken Cottage stores and via its app.

According to Mark Russell, CEO of the Children’s Society, thousands of children across the UK are at risk of exploitation and require our help. He believes that this partnership involves not only staff training but also community collaboration.

Jeyakumar Veeramalai, the franchisee of Luton’s Chicken Cottage, stated, “We are very happy to support the Children’s Society through this fantastic initiative. Our community is of utmost importance to us, and I am proud to show what local businesses can do to keep our children and young people safe.”