On 21st May, Hertsmere Borough Councillor, Meenal Sachdev, presented as a keynote speaker at the Business Seminar, “Unchaining Modern Slavery in Your Business” in Stevenage. This was an event for local businesses to understand their responsibility to address modern slavery and to learn about local efforts to tackle this crime within the community.
Organised by Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, David Lloyd, and his Independent Business Advisory Group, the aim of the event was to raise awareness on the issue of modern slavery and to provide businesses with the knowledge and tools they require to address the issue within their own operations and supply chains.
Meenal, as Director of Shiva Foundation and Head of Sustainability for Shiva Hotels, was able to share her experience of creating a comprehensive toolkit for the hotel industry to respond to this crime. Although a variety of industries were represented at the event, including agriculture, technology, and finance, there were shared learnings across all sectors, from which businesses can benefit.
Speakers included Detective Sergeant, Duncan Montague of the Hertfordshire Constabulary modern slavery team, Operation Tropic, and the Senior Policy Manager from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, Deborah Barker.
For more information on the hotel industry toolkit, visit www.bit.ly/StopSlaveryBlueprint. For additional resources to support businesses in tackling modern slavery, visit www.stopslaverynetwork.org/resource_hub/.