CEMEX supports the charity PAN which is a charity set up to help young people who have come to the UK as asylum seekers, refugees or migrants, are survivors of human trafficking or young people vulnerable to peer pressure and in danger of entering criminality.  During COVID the charity has been able to maintain its key priorities of helping vulnerable and fragile people, keeping them engaged and alleviating anxieties, keeping them creative and joyful and helping develop their self-confidence and ability to enter employment or further education.

Often the participants have to overcome significant mental health hurdles because of their previous experiences.  For this reason, the charity have been allowed to carry on meeting with clients during the second lockdown in small groups.  They use theatre, the arts and music to help their young clients.

The Director of PAN wrote us a touching email explaining why ours is such a vital support and to tell the story of one member of the group, who had been coming to the sessions for quite a long time and had been pretty much silent.  The other week he surprised them all by volunteering to show them an exercise to help with their mental health.  He confidently and clearly explained how in English and began to find his voice.

It is through small but vital moments like these that people begin to flourish again and be able to contribute to the new society they are members of.  Only made possible because of the support from sponsors such as us.  Find out more about PAN at: www.pan-arts.net

Have a read of the uplifting Guardian article featuring the Amies Freedom Choir made up of female survivors of human trafficking here