On the day of the Hull Freedom Trail leaves Hull, Rachel Wilberforce great great great Granddaughter of the famous abolitionist William Wilberforce sent this message.

"The bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade is a time to remember the past - all those that were enslaved and whom lost their lives, and those whom worked tirelessly to bring an end to the slave trade, as well as a time to focus on the present and look to the future.

Today at least 12 million men, women and children worldwide are forced to work through the threat or use of violence. They are denied freedom, de-humanised and treated as property to be bought and sold. Even though slavery is illegal under international law, no region is free from this abuse and forms of slavery are found in most countries.

The campaigners of 200 years ago, including my thrice great-grandfather William Wilberforce, and Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp amongst many others, fought for the abolition of slavery, as did many slaves whom fought for their own freedom. Today, I believe we each have a responsibility to make a difference, by raising awareness about the realities of modern slavery and continuing to campaign for its end.

I wish the Hull Freedom Trail and Rotary International team all the best with their humanitarian trip to Sierra Leone"