A YOGA event to highlight the issue of human trafficking and raise funds for its victims made more than £1,500 earlier this month and involved over 70 people.

The event, organised in Chepstow and Yorkley by Kim Spencer, was part of a global campaign called Yoga Stops Traffick (YST) with 88 events taking place in 22 countries.

Kim said: “YST is an annual, worldwide community yoga event raising awareness of human trafficking and much needed funds to support its victims. The recent events held in Yorkley and Chepstow together raised an amazing £1,523, £600 of which was raised during the year at a charity yoga class in St Briavels, run by local yoga teacher Lorna Kennedy on Wednesday mornings.

“We had 30 participants and six helpers at Yorkley and 40 particpants and seven helpers in Chepstow, but not all at the same time. And a few people just came along for a cuppa. 

“Funds will go to the Odanadi Seva Trust, a grassroots organisation in Mysore, south India.

“I have visited Odanadi, our son volunteered there for a year and my husband and I have very close connections via Adventure Ashram, the charity that now runs YST.

“In 2017 we held an event in Yorkley for the charity, which has rescued and rehabilitated more than 12,000 women and children, carried out 422 brothel raids, educated tens of thousands of children, men and women about sexual exploitation, returned 1,380 missing children to their families and brought 385 traffickers to justice,” she added.

“I’m not a teacher myself, but yoga teachers Carolyn Thomas, Lisa Hebbron and Di Worrall took part in the Yorkley event and Ali Rose, Lorna Kennedy, Kari van Eden, Sam Williams, Christine Cox and Alice Jomain were all involved at Chepstow.

“They are all based and in and around the Forest and Wye Valley, teaching everywhere from Viney Hill to Raglan, and from Chepstow to St Briavels. Other teachers not helping on the day provided raffle prizes and helped with the events via their classes.

“We were overwhelmed with the local support we had from yoga teachers, participants and helpers.

To donate just go to www. uk.virginmoneygiving.com/yogastopstraffick for those who were unable to join an event.