| Slavery facts | - Britain was engaged in the slave trade for over 200 years
- Possibly 25 million people were removed from Africa
- One third of those taken died on board the slave ships - many others never recovered
- The modern equivalent of half a million pounds could be made on each slave voyage
- Abolitionists boycotted sugar grown by slaves, wore anti-slavery badges, and printed graphic slogans on cups and saucers
- There could be as many as 20 million people living in slavery today
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Free4All is a school鈥檚 project to mark the 200th Anniversary of the Commons Bill of abolishing the slave trade.听 It鈥檚 organised by Church Missions Society, which is a Christian mission organisation which was founded by the abolitionists just over 200 years ago.听
 | | Free4All tour dates |
Anita Matthews from CMS said that it was a very important learning experience for the participants.听 鈥淲hat we are trying to do in Free4All is first of all is to make sure that the story of 1807 is told; that people understand the awful evil of the slave trade back then.听 "Also, we want to make sure again that people are inspired by the story of the abolitionists, many of whom acted with such courage and with such imagination to really change people鈥檚 hearts as well as change policies and change the law.听 But we want to invite people to engage with the fact that slavery is still a massive issue in many many parts of the world today.听 "The amazing thing about the abolition campaign is that it was the first campaign where the whole mass population had a say: working class people signed petitions; and everyone boycotted sugar that had been produced by slaves as the beginnings of fair trade.听 People said we are going to vote with our feet and vote with our money.听
 | | On board the slave ships |
"So while it鈥檚 good to remember people like William Wilberforce and other key figures, the exciting thing about the campaign is that it was about everyone, ordinary people and politicians working together.鈥澨 Mrs Bobby Harrington organised the school鈥檚 participation.听 鈥淲ell we've had a workshop every day.听 52 children each day from different schools have been learning about the slave trade and the enslaved people themselves and the effect of slavery on today鈥檚 world.听 | "I felt really sad and sorry for the people. It was really dirty, they hardly got anything to eat and they were treated very badly." | | Alison and Celine |
"They have learnt songs, they have been dancing, they have done drama, and had an absolutely fantastic time.听 But it has been quite an emotional week really, because they have been learning about the arrival of the slaves and how they had been packed into the ships, taken for about two months over the Atlantic and sold as slaves to the West Indies.听 "The children have responded really well and seemed to have learned quite a lot about it one way and another."听 Among the children taking part, were Celine and Alison from Barnes Farm Junior School, and Rowan and Fraser from Great Leighs School.听
 | | Children came from many for Essex school |
They told me that they knew very little before the workshop, but after their understanding was much greater.听 "I felt really sad and sorry for the people because they had awful conditions, like they didn't get a lot of fresh air, it was really dirty, they hardly got anything to eat and they were treated very badly.听 "Most of the things that we take for granted today they didn't have back then, so you don't really think about it, but being here makes you think about it a lot more." | 
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