Evidence & Impact
Evidence & accountability
How Freedom Charity evidences its work
Freedom Charity works to prevent forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM) and Dishonour Abuse through safeguarding, education, practical resources, professional training, campaigning and routes to help. This page brings together evidence that can be checked independently as well as the services and resources Freedom delivers directly.
Freedom’s reported reach
Scale of public education
250,000+
Freedom App downloads
100,000+
books donated to support education and prevention
These are Freedom Charity’s own reported cumulative reach figures, reviewed in September 2026. The app figure is a historic cumulative download count, not a current active-user figure. The books figure is a cumulative distribution count, not a count of unique readers. Neither figure, on its own, measures learning, safeguarding outcomes, behaviour change or reduced harm.
Independent records
Evidence you can verify
Registered charity
Freedom Charity is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, charity number 1139657. The public register provides the charity’s official details and regulatory filings. Prospective funders can review that record and contact Freedom to discuss information relevant to a proposed gift or partnership.
PSHE Association resources
The PSHE Association hosts lesson packs developed with Freedom Charity on forced marriage and FGM for Key Stages 3 and 4. The resources support safe, age-appropriate teaching and safeguarding.
National recognition
Freedom Charity won the Community Organisation Award for Gender at the 2026 National Diversity Awards.
2026 public record
Recent recognition and policy work
4 March 2026: The House of Lords identified Freedom Charity’s campaign for the term “Dishonour Abuse” during debate on the Crime and Policing Bill. This records recognition of the campaign, not adoption of the term in legislation. Read Hansard →
18 September 2026: Freedom Charity won the National Diversity Awards Community Organisation Award for Gender. See the official winners →
These dated records demonstrate public engagement and recognition. They do not replace evidence of sessions delivered, participant feedback or safeguarding outcomes.
Protection and law
Campaigning alongside legal change
Freedom has campaigned for stronger protection against forced marriage and other harmful practices. Forced marriage is a criminal offence across the UK, with legislation differing by jurisdiction. Freedom’s Law Change page sets out the charity’s campaigning history.
Evidence to Parliament: On 20 June 2013, Aneeta Prem, founder of Freedom Charity, gave oral evidence to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee considering the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill. Read the official Parliamentary record →
Freedom also campaigned against virginity testing and hymenoplasty. The Health and Care Act 2022 made carrying out, offering, or aiding and abetting these practices illegal throughout the UK.
GOV.UK forced-marriage guidance →
GOV.UK virginity-testing and hymenoplasty guidance →
Current support enquiries
The concerns people bring to Freedom
Freedom reports regular helpline enquiries, many from London, particularly East London. Callers raise concerns about possible forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), virginity testing and Dishonour Abuse. Other enquiries involve financial pressure or worries about how family members may react to someone’s sexual orientation.
Freedom provides safeguarding information and helps people identify appropriate next steps and routes to specialist or statutory support. These are anonymised themes drawn from the charity’s reported experience, not a verified case count or evidence that harm has been prevented. For current support options, visit the Freedom helpline page.
How Freedom works
Built on volunteers. Planning for the future.
Volunteers and supporters have helped Freedom Charity deliver education, raise awareness and provide practical safeguarding information by contributing their time, skills and expertise. Much of this work would otherwise require paid capacity. The contribution of ordinary volunteers is not reflected in the charity’s headline income and expenditure figures.
As Freedom develops, our priority is to build a more sustainable model: retaining the strengths of volunteer involvement while seeking reliable funding, appropriate professional support and the coordination needed for safe, consistent delivery. The aim is to support our volunteers, not replace them, and to strengthen the charity for the people who rely on its work.
What Freedom delivers
Practical routes to prevention and help
Helpline
A specialist helpline providing information and support for people affected by forced marriage, FGM and Dishonour Abuse.
Freedom App
Safeguarding information and routes to help designed to be accessible on a phone.
Schools and PSHE
Age-appropriate education resources on forced marriage, FGM, consent, coercion and safeguarding.
Professional training
Training for education, health, social care, police, justice, local-authority and other frontline teams.
Books
But It’s Not Fair and Cut Flowers use story to support discussion of forced marriage and FGM.
Red Triangle
Freedom’s visible campaign symbol against FGM, linked to safeguarding education and prevention.
Freedom’s role: Freedom does not replace police, social care, NHS services, the Forced Marriage Unit or other statutory and specialist bodies. Its contribution is prevention education, specialist information, training, resources, campaigning and routes to help. Statutory decisions and interventions remain with the relevant agencies.
Evidence & accountability
How we distinguish reach from impact
Freedom links to independent records where they are available, including the Charity Commission, the PSHE Association, GOV.UK and external awards bodies. These sources allow funders, commissioners, schools, professionals and supporters to verify key parts of our work.
Freedom distinguishes reach and activity from independently verifiable evidence. Downloads and distributions show reach; they do not, on their own, prove reduced harm or behaviour change. Awards and registrations show recognition or status, not outcomes. Where outcome evidence is not available, Freedom will not present activity as impact.
For substantial funding, Freedom would agree objectives, measures, reporting intervals and known limitations at the outset of the funded work.
Funding and commissioning
Fund, commission or use Freedom’s work
Donate, discuss a major gift or partnership, commission professional training, or use Freedom’s safeguarding and education resources.
Last reviewed: 11 October 2026.