31 October 2014

Leading refugee children's solicitor Kalvir Kaur has been presented with the 2014 ECPAT UK Children's Champion award. 

Kalvir, Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year in 2008, is lauded as an ‘unsung hero’ in the anti-trafficking field for her work representing child victims of trafficking for over a decade. 

Each year, ECPAT UK recognises one individual for outstanding commitment to children who have been trafficked. 2014 winner Kalvir Kaur (pictured above left with ECPAT UK CEO Bharti Patel) is regarded as one of the best solicitors for interviewing trafficked children and trains regularly on the issue for the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA).

Presented the award at the ECPAT UK 20th Anniversary celebration at Fieldfisher on Wednesday night, an emotional Kalvir accepted the honour from one member of ECPAT UK’s youth group, who praised the solicitor for her tremendous dedication and compassionate professionalism. 

The youth group member said: “I have never had anyone in my life show so much care and kindness. She really is amazing.”

Bharti Patel, CEO, ECPAT UK, said: “I can think of no more deserving candidate for the 2014 Children’s Champion award than Kalvir. You can see by the outpouring of support from the young people here tonight the impact she has made on their lives. Few others have matched Kalvir’s unswerving dedication to upholding the rights of refugee and trafficked children, including sharing ECPAT UK’s ambition to establish an independent, legal system of guardianship in the UK. We thank her for her outstanding contributions and look forward to continuing our friendship long into the future.” 

“I am humbled and honoured in equal measure to have received the 2014 Children’s Champion award," Kalvir said. "I have been fortunate in my career to have crossed paths with dedicated individuals and organisations committed to eradicating child trafficking and providing better protection to its victims. ECPAT UK shines brightly amongst them. I want to take a moment to applaud the courage of the children who over the years have told me their traumatic life histories. We must resolve to do our utmost to overcome the roots of modern day child slavery for all those who remain in its chains."

About ECPAT UK

ECPAT UK is a leading children’s rights charity committed to preventing child trafficking and transnational child abuse. www.ecpat.org.uk 

About the Children’s Champion Award

The ECPAT UK Children’s Champion Award is presented to one individual who has shown outstanding commitment to children. Past winners include: 

• The Row for Freedom team, who gained two world records by rowing unaided across the Atlantic Ocean in to raise awareness of child trafficking and funds for our work
• Nadine Finch, barrister and leading children’s rights advocate
• The Metropolitan Police’s Operation Golf, which led the first joint operation with Romanian police to uncover the trafficking of children for benefit fraud and street crime in the UK