Who we are

Ella’s is a London-based organisation working with women who have survived trafficking and sexual exploitation.

We are passionate about providing the best care for as many survivors as we can.

Hugging Group.png

Our vision is to see people free from slavery and exploitation.

Our mission is to ensure survivors of trafficking and exploitation have all they need to recover and build lives that are safe and free.

To achieve this, we offer:

  • safe house accommodation for women when they are most vulnerable 

  • care to help them recover and move forward

  • long-term community-based support to help survivors build safe,
    independent lives. 

Our team provides regular, direct support for more than 40 people and families, and help when needed for dozens more across our network. 

Little flower.png

We are effective

Our work is professional and high-quality, and makes a powerful and lasting difference in the lives of survivors. 

Ellas_Heart.png

We always care

We value and respect the people we work with, and treat every person as an individual. Community and friendship are at the heart of what we do. 

Ellas Strong.png

We are strong

We walk with women on their journey of recovery, no matter how hard. We are passionate and speak out loudly for kindness, equality and justice.

‘Ella’s supports women affected by trafficking and exploitation to heal and rediscover their freedom in a compassionate and safe environment. The tailored, long-term support that Ella’s provides underlies a determination to support every woman as an individual. I have seen first-hand how much Ella’s means to the women they support and I am grateful to them for the vital work they do.’

- Dame Sara Thornton,
Former Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (2019-2022)

Meeting an urgent need

The support we provide is not just a ‘nice-to-have’ for women who have survived trafficking and exploitation. It is essential to their safety and freedom. Without it, many would fall back into danger.

For survivors, we plug huge gaps in the UK support system, providing accommodation, care and advice when they need it most. 

Unlocking Freedom

An uplifting short film about what we do at Ella's and why.

Hugging Side.png
Every single step forward I do, you guys [Ella’s] are by my side. Thanks for transforming life, bringing colour to it.
— Ana, survivor of trafficking

How it began

Our organisation is named after a real woman, Ella. She had been exploited since childhood, and then trafficked from her home country to Thailand and later to London, trapped in the sex trade for years. Ella was sick and felt unsafe, and desperately wanted to start a new life. She attempted to get out, but was too scared to share her story with the UK authorities. For this reason, Ella wasn’t entitled to any support. She felt unable to break free, and fell back into exploitation. 

Our organisation exists to address dangerous gaps in the system and provide survivors of trafficking and exploitation with a real chance to recover and stay free.

Ella’s was launched in 2014 by Emily Chalke, working with Paul Unsworth from Kahaila. Emily did all she could to help Ella find the professional support she needed when she was in London, and they remain in contact. We were part of Kahaila for the first few years, where we were supported to begin our work. We opened our first safe house in 2016 and became an independent charity in 2020.

Keep in touch 

We’d love to stay in touch. If you’d like to receive occasional emails from Ella’s, with stories, news and opportunities to support and get involved with our work, please sign up here.