Hull Council - Wilberforce 2007 Slavery
Hull City Council’s WILBERFORCE 2007 campaign marked the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave tradeand aimed to promote cultural and economic freedom, human rights and fair trade, raise awareness of contemporary slavery and human rights issues.
The council was able to celebrate diversity, raise relevant issues of equality, create community cohesion, inform policy, create learning outcomes and promote good practice throughout the city of Hull.
A number of key outcomes created tangible benefits for the city and its people and made a real difference on a local, national and international level.
Over 155 citywide individual events and projects have been completed and over 300 community groups have been consulted and/or engaged in the delivery of the programme. Participation in the events stands at over 144,500 people to date, excluding school-based activities.
External perceptions of Hull have improved positively and civic pride has increased dramatically. Hull’s association with Wilberforce and Freedom is now clear at a city and regional level.
Hull City Council’s Fight for Freedom Petition has reached all four corners of the earth. To date, the petition has been signed by over 75,000 people, providing significant evidence for the lobbying and leverage against modern day slavery worldwide.