AFRUCA - SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN

What AFRUCA - SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN does

AFRUCA - Safeguarding Children is a UK-registered charity founded in May 2001 by Debbie Ariyo OBE to address child safeguarding, child trafficking, and modern slavery issues affecting Black and ethnic communities in the United Kingdom. Headquartered in London with a regional office in Manchester, the charity delivers a portfolio of social services including the Child Protection and Family Support Service (culturally tailored consultation and assessment by qualified social workers accepting referrals from local authorities across England, Wales and Scotland), the Child Exploitation and Serious Violence Programme, the Modern Slavery Programme, and specialist training for professionals. The organization also operates BASNET - The UK BME Anti-Slavery Network, a strategic alliance launched in 2019 to promote racial equity in the UK anti-trafficking sector and now comprising nine partner organisations across Greater Manchester.

The business model is a hybrid of charitable grant funding and fee-based commissioned services. Primary funding flows from charitable foundations and government bodies including the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, City Bridge Foundation, The Henry Smith Charity, Samworth Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Manchester City Council, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Fee-based revenue comes from specialist training at £700 per session for cultural competence courses, £50 per delegate for study groups, £20 per delegate for faith-setting training, and paid commissioned child protection services for local authorities, supplemented by free basic training for community groups. Customer segments are local authority social services (primary), schools and education providers, faith-based organisations, and the Black and ethnic families who are the ultimate beneficiaries. Distribution is community-led via volunteer Champions, direct local authority referrals, and in-person or virtual training delivery.

The organization operates with approximately 7-11 staff members, has served over 500 modern slavery survivors and trained over 15,000 professionals since inception, and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2026. Strategic positioning is anchored on a cultural competence differentiator that mainstream local authorities cite as a gap in reaching the global majority families they serve.

Name

AFRUCA - SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN

Legal name

AFRUCA - Safeguarding Children

Website

https://afruca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AFRUCA - Safeguarding Children is a UK charity that delivers culturally tailored child protection, modern slavery, and exploitation prevention services to Black and ethnic communities, funded by charitable grants and local authority commissions, with offices in London and Manchester.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare and Safeguarding Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (611710), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Child protection services
• Family support services
• Safeguarding training
• Modern slavery support
• Community social services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable grants and donations: Primary funding comes from charitable foundations, government bodies, and individual donations. Funders include Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, City Bridge Foundation, Manchester City Council, The Henry Smith Charity, Samworth Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AFRUCA is a UK charity that delivers culturally tailored child protection and family support services for Black and ethnic communities, including social work assessments, positive parenting training, child exploitation prevention, and modern slavery survivor support. It also provides specialist cultural competence and safeguarding training for professionals, schools, and faith organisations, delivered face-to-face or virtually. The organization operates the BASNET UK BME Anti-Slavery Network and a Community Champions volunteer programme to extend its grassroots reach across England.

Product overview

AFRUCA Safeguarding Children is a charitable organisation, not a technology product company. It offers a portfolio of social services focused on protecting children from abuse, modern slavery, and exploitation in UK Black and Ethnic communities. The core offerings include: Child Protection and Family Support Services (culturally tailored social work assessments and parenting programmes), Child Exploitation and Serious Violence Prevention programmes, Specialist Training for professionals (delivered face-to-face and virtually), Modern Slavery support services, and community-based education programmes through schools, faith organisations, and volunteer Community Champions. The organisation also operates BASNET - The UK BME Anti-Slavery Network as a strategic alliance to promote race equality in the anti-trafficking sector. Additional initiatives include the 25 for 25 Project (survivor story collection), REVIVE (mentoring for young people), and Healing and Reconciliation therapeutic services. Services are delivered from offices in London and Manchester, with referrals accepted from local authorities across England, Wales, and Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Protection and Family Support Service Multi-disciplinary team of experienced and qualified social workers providing culturally tailored consultation for child protection professionals plus Child Protection assessment, positive parenting training, and support services for parents in the UK Child Protection system. Accepts referrals from local authorities and other agencies across the UK.
• Child Exploitation and Serious Violence Programme Holistic menu of services supporting children, young people and families in Black and ethnic communities at risk of or affected by child exploitation and serious violence. Includes prevention, early intervention, 1-2-1 support for parents of children at risk, mentoring, practical support, and learning activities for young people.
• AFRUCA Specialist Training Programme For Professionals Specialist training programmes for agencies and their staff working with Black and Ethnic children and families. Includes bespoke courses tailored to organisational needs, delivered face-to-face or virtually. Over 15,000 professionals have participated since 2001.
• Modern Slavery Programme Addresses modern slavery and exploitation experienced by children and young people trafficked into the UK. Partners with other agencies to provide culturally appropriate support and care to meet their needs. Over 500 survivors supported since 2001.
• Community Education Programme Partnership programme with community and faith-based organisations to improve knowledge of child safeguarding and how to keep children safe from abuse and harm, including basic child protection training.
• Schools Education Programme Training courses delivered in schools, colleges, and alternative education provisions across the country to raise awareness about different forms of intra and extra-familial harm towards children, including child protection training for parents and cultural competence training for teachers.
• Community Volunteering Programme (Community Champions) Volunteer-led approach addressing issues affecting children in Black and ethnic communities across England through peer-to-peer learning and active citizenship, including Community Champions initiatives focusing on Modern Slavery, Child Protection, and Female Genital Mutilation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported over 500 survivors of modern slavery since 2001
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CEE-HOPE NigeriaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Collaboration to raise awareness of child protection issues in Nigeria. Debbie Ariyo OBE was guest of honour at interactive event exploring child abuse and protection in Nigeria.
• BASNET - The UK BME Anti-Slavery NetworkcoreOthersStrategic network project of AFRUCA launched in 2019 to promote racial equity, diversity and inclusion in the UK anti-trafficking sector. Active in policy engagement, research partnerships, and member support for BME-led organisations.
• Greater Manchester Combined AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor grant funder for community engagement and awareness raising on social care work visas and risks of exploitation. Project delivered by consortium of nine local partners across all 10 boroughs.
• BASNET Consortium PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNine local partners: Wonderfully Made Woman, Support and Action for Women's Network, Caring and Sharing CIC, House of Rainbow CIC, Manchester Gambian Network, Across Ummah, Ibo Ladies in the Diaspora, Noble Arise. Working across Greater Manchester to raise awareness and support care workers.
• British Academy Early Career Researcher NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted BASNET's first Modern Slavery Knowledge Mobilisation Conference at their prestigious premises in Central London.
• Media TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced AFRUCA's 25th anniversary film 'The Gap' showcasing work on protection of Black children in the UK, with funding from City Bridge Foundation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Children's Society: Major UK children's charity running exploitation, county lines, and safeguarding programmes, with strong focus on disadvantaged and minority-ethnic young people. Overlaps with AFRUCA on child exploitation and culturally tailored support, but at significantly larger scale.
• Barnardo's: One of the UK's largest children's charities, providing child protection, fostering, and exploitation services nationally. Comparable as a UK child safeguarding and exploitation-services provider, though Barnardo's operates broadly across all communities rather than specialising in Black and ethnic communities.
• NSPCC: The UK's largest children's charity, delivering child protection services, helplines, and training across the country. Comparable to AFRUCA as a UK-wide child safeguarding organisation, but operating at much greater scale and with a generalist rather than culturally-specialist remit.
• Refuge: Large UK specialist charity supporting women and children escaping domestic abuse, with services, refuge accommodation, and professional training. Comparable to AFRUCA on the training-for-professionals and culturally tailored support for marginalised communities dimensions.

Direct peers

• Hope for Justice: UK and international anti-trafficking and modern slavery organisation providing survivor support, prevention, and training. Directly comparable to AFRUCA's Modern Slavery Programme and BASNET activities in the anti-trafficking sector.
• Unseen: UK charity working on modern slavery, including a helpline, survivor support, and training for professionals. Comparable to AFRUCA as a UK modern slavery charity that also delivers professional training and survivor services.
• City Hearts: UK charity providing rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration support for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. Comparable to AFRUCA's modern slavery survivor support model and partner-based service delivery.
• Anti-Slavery International: The world's oldest anti-slavery organisation, focused on advocacy, policy, and supporting survivor-led groups. Comparable to AFRUCA through its BASNET policy work and anti-trafficking sector convening role.

Emerging players

• Stop the Traffik: UK-headquartered international coalition working to prevent human trafficking and modern slavery through awareness, partnerships, and community action. Comparable to AFRUCA's BASNET coalition model and community-led prevention work.
• SafeLives: UK charity working to end domestic abuse, with a strong training and professional-development arm serving local authorities. Comparable to AFRUCA's specialist training-for-professionals model and local-authority commissioning pathway.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afruca-safeguarding-children

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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