Social World Podcast: Christina Gabbitas Child Exploitation County Lines

Christina Gabbitas is a writer, educator, Honorary Member of the NSPCC Council, Coronation Champion, and founder of the Children Literature Festivals charity, who was awarded a Prime Ministers Points of Light Award in 2023.

We talk of the critical situation threatening thousands of young people in the UK. The grooming by organised criminals and, as a result, the destruction of their childhood with many going missing or being locked into a nightmare.

Her impactful writing commissions include collaborations with organisations such as Humberside Police & Crime Commissioners Office, amongst other organisations and charities. Notably, her recent work, “Trapped in County Lines,” commissioned by North Yorkshire Police and the North Yorkshire Fire & Crime Commissioners Office, reflects her dedication to educating children and young people about the signs of exploitation. Christina actively partners with various Police Forces, contributing to her transformative impact on children’s literature and safety education. Christina has visited over 400 schools delivering early intervention sessions with her work surrounding county lines.

Christina’s safeguarding stories are in the NSPCC Library and online shop raising funds for Childline. Trapped in County Lines was book of the week at the NSPCC in October 2023 and was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize