1 Life, 1 Voice: Fighting County Lines

County Lines is a term for drug gangs from big cities expanding their operations to smaller towns, often using violence to drive out local dealers and exploiting children and vulnerable people to sell drugs.

These dealers will use dedicated mobile phone lines, known as 'deal lines', to take orders from drug users.

County Lines exist in Dorset and Wiltshire, and this is having a significant impact on our young people and their families.

We have put a range of videos to use and discuss in schools, churches and communities groups on our website, here.

As part of the #1Life1Voice Stop Modern Slavery project, we will be offering all middle and secondary schools online training on County Lines by Escapeline for Y7 – Y11 students. These will be virtual sessions given on Monday 18th October - Anti-Slavery Day.

The training will focus on Child Exploitation and County Line training for young people and will include understanding the grooming process, the signs to look out for and different stages of recruitment.

You can access information on the #1Life1Voice Stop Modern Slavery project here.

This now includes a link to The Clewer Initiative resources for parishes which you might like to use for services around Anti-Slavery Day, on 18th October.

Please email Deborah Heritage if you would like further information about this project.