Karma Nirvana’s staff and most of its 18 volunteers are survivors of forced marriage and 'honour'-based violence. Project founder and director Jasvinder Sanghera wants the voices of victims “to be heard” and to “shape policy”.

An astute campaigner and powerful speaker, she has forged links with the police, Crown Prosecution Service, local authorities, judges and magistrates. Sanghera is working on a PhD on honour violence and her memoir Shame was published in 2007.

Jasvinder ran away from home at 15 after being shown a photograph of a man she had never met and told he was to be her husband. Her sister Robina committed suicide at 24 by setting herself on fire, rather than leave a violent relationship.

Karma Nirvana young persons’ project worker Shazia Qayum was forced into marriage and, aged 17, was escorted from her marital home at 3am by the police after phoning them to help her escape.