It will support 25 projects across London to run workshops and educational activities to empower around 50,000 Londoners to stand up to hate….reports Asian Lite News
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a new £875,000 investment to support community projects tackling extremism, hate, intolerance and radicalisation across London.
It marks the fifth year of the Mayor’s grassroots Shared Endeavour Fund which is working to empower Londoners of all ages to challenge racist and hateful views in their communities, better protect those vulnerable to radicalisation and stop the spread of hateful ideologies. More than 140,000 Londoners have benefitted from the grassroots scheme since 2020.
The latest funding comes as fresh statistics show a 147 per cent rise of “anti-Jewish hate” across the UK in 2023 compared to the previous year and over 2,000 anti-Muslim cases since October 2023 – the largest recorded number of cases in four months, since 2011.
It will support 25 projects across London to run workshops and educational activities to empower around 50,000 Londoners to stand up to hate. Applications for the new £875,000 fund are now open and projects have until midnight on 5th May 2024 to apply for funding of up to £100,000.
The fund will also tackle radicalisation and violent extremism in the capital, as Met Police counter terror experts warn of an unprecedented rise in the threat from terrorism following the impact of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Since October, 33 arrests have been made for terrorism offences and of those recently arrested, 20 percent have been children under the age of 18[3].
Whilst the Mayor is taking a proactive approach to safeguard vulnerable Londoners from radicalisation, the Government are implementing proposals to cut the budgets for the Home Office’s Prevent counter-extremism programme in London by half.
This latest investment is part of the Mayor’s record £14.8million investment in tackling hate, which also includes funding the Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) partnership, which provides support for victims of all forms of hate crime – from racism to religious discrimination and anti-LGBTQ+ abuse.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said that “We have seen an appalling rise in hate crime over the last few months and I’m determined to lead from the front and work in partnership with all of London’s diverse communities so that no individual or community are singled out or targeted for who they are.
“A Muslim woman should not have to take off her headscarf just because she doesn’t want to be targeted, nor a Jewish person should have to hide their Star of David because they don’t want to be singled out.
“In London, our diversity is our greatest strength and whilst we are facing some very difficult times, with the politics of extremism, division and blame becoming more mainstream, I know that the decent majority in our city and country believe in our values of equality, openness and respect for diversity. I’m proud to be announcing this additional funding to help grassroots community groups continue their work to build a safer and more tolerant London for everyone.”
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “The increasing complexity and fluidity of violent ideologies we see in our Counter Terrorism Policing caseload, particularly online, is a clear indication of the immense challenges faced by those determined to help to deter and divert people away from dangerous extremism.
“Our key partnerships with local authorities, MOPAC, education establishments and the charity sector have never been more vital to the success of our shared counter terrorism goals. We are always keen to examine new and innovative ideas that will help stem the flow of toxic ideologies. Effective collaboration and engagement with partners and the wider public is essential to our common priority of keeping the public safe from Terrorism.”
Jodie Franks, Assistant Manager, – Stand Up, said: “The support from the Mayor’s office and the Shared Endeavour Fund in 2023/24, allowed Stand Up! to reach more young people across London during a critical time in which antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have reached an all-time high (particularly affecting young people in school settings).
“Thanks to SEF Funding, Stand Up! has reached over 14,000 young Londoners since September 2023, facilitating a safe space for young people to meet Jewish and Muslim facilitators to breakdown misconceptions and stereotypes targeting minority communities.”
Mike Haines, founder of Global Acts of Unity, said: “The Shared Endeavour Fund has enabled Global Acts of Unity to run a tour of London schools in the first quarter of 2024. I was able to personally deliver this workshop to over 8,000 secondary school pupils across several London boroughs.
“This project is particularly important at this time because social tensions have sadly increased as extremists exploit the fallout and conflict following the deadly attacks by Hamas on October 7th alongside the ensuing humanitarian crisis for Gazans. My sharing of David’s story tells of the devastating consequences of extremism, for both victims and perpetrators.
“SEF is a good funder, with a clear process and benchmarks to release funding. Through the SEF network, GAU has connected with other groups, identifying mutual support and shared experience, helping us achieve our objective – reducing the threat from extremism to society.”
Ruth Martin, Grants Team Manager at Groundwork London: “At Groundwork London, we work to support London’s diverse communities to ensure the capital is a vibrant, respectful, and safe place for everyone. The Shared Endeavour Fund plays an important part of that mission, as it empowers civil society organisations to counter hate, intolerance and radicalisation in their communities and take action against issues they directly face.
“This work continues to be extremely relevant given current global events something which has been echoed by current grantees. So far, we have worked with MOPAC to support over 90 initiatives across London, which has impacted over 140,000 Londoners. Groundwork London are proud to continue to administer the Shared Endeavour Fund, and support applicants and grant recipients to deliver these important projects across London.”
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