Hostage UK Home Page

Hostage UK was established to help to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of people who fall victim to kidnapping or hostage taking situations.

It draws on an experienced boards of trustees and 'members':

Trustees:
Terry Waite CBE, chair and former hostage negotiator and hostage;
Sandra Singer, Vice Chair, former Red Cross and ICRC, incl. hostage release and family support
Carlo Laurenzi OBE, former director of Prisoners Abroad
Phil Bigley, brother of former hostage in Iraq
Sue Williams QPM, former head of the Met Police’s hostage unit, now a specialist kidnap consultant

Members:
Professor David Alexander, trauma specialist and consultant clinical psychologist, MA (Hons), C Psychol, PhD, FBPS, FRSM, (Hon) FRCPsych, Director Aberdeen Centre for Trauma Research, Robert Gordon University
Lynda Brockbank, founder of Crescent Lodge
Colin Eglington, Managing Director of Simply Thank You and former hostage held at a chemicals factory near Baghdad before the first Gulf war
Sarah Hart-Dyke, mother of former hostage in Colombia
Peter Shaw, former banker, kidnapped while working for the European Commission in Georgia
Professor Gordon Turnbull
Peter Young MBE, former member of the anti-kidnap unit at SOCA (Serious Organised Crime Agency)

Staff:
Rachel Briggs, part-time Director

In the absence of any internationally agreed definition of kidnapping, we aim to support the family of any British national who is held illegally and against their will overseas, and the hostage on their release.

Hostage UK is in the early stages of its development, but in time we hope to be able to offer the following services to hostages and their families:

Pastoral care;
Practical help;
Financial advice
Communications advice; and
Information specific to each case.

For more information, contact Hostage UK Director Rachel Briggs: rachel@hostageuk.org