London Mayor announces a further £250,000 to tackle hate crime

Ansar Ahmed Ullah
Contributing Editor,Shottobani

London: With incidents of hate crime recently having risen in the capital and nationwide, the London Mayor Sadiq Khan has today announced £250,000 in new funding for the Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) partnership and the Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund to extend their work in the capital.

CATCH is receiving the funding in addition to £2m it has already received from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) enabling it to reach more than 3,500 victims of hate crime a year. The partnership of eight organisations including GALOP, supports victims of all forms of hate crime – from racism to religious discrimination and anti-LGBTQ+ abuse.

The Alliance will be prioritising additional funding for The Community Security Trust (CST) and Tell MAMA, who are currently supporting members of London’s Jewish and Muslim communities impacted by rising tensions sparked by violence in the Middle East. The new funding announced will also benefit community cohesion and outreach and resilience projects.

This new funding comes as the Mayor of London launches London for Everyone – a new campaign to unite communities, celebrate the capital’s diversity and promote mutual respect, the campaign will signpost Londoners to help and support services funded by the Mayor. This will include advice for new migrants to help them access key services as well as information on how to report hate crime and access support available. The campaign is designed to bring Londoners together, affirming that while we may be from different communities, speak a multitude of languages and hold varying beliefs, we all belong in London and help to make it the greatest city in the world.

Londoners and visitors to the capital will be able to see posters across the Transport for London (TfL) network from Friday 24 November, as well as online.

The Mayor is also delivering a wide programme of interventions to support Londoners of all backgrounds to thrive in our capital. This includes the creation of the Migrant Londoners Hub and investment of more than £750,000 in the Migrant Advice and Support Fund to help Londoners with immigration needs. He has also provided a £1m microgrant programme to help local groups strengthen social bonds within their communities following the pandemic and enable Londoners of all ages and backgrounds to volunteer through the London Strategic Volunteering Group (LVSG).

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said, “London’s greatest strength is our diversity and we simply wouldn’t be the city we are today without the input, energy and experiences of everyone who lives here.

“We have seen a concerning rise in hate crime across our city and nationwide. In times marred by division and fear, I am committed to seeing Londoners respond with unity and in hope.

“That is why I’ve increased funding to tackle hate crime in our capital and why I’ve l launched our new ‘London for Everyone’ campaign. As we strive to build a better, safer and more equal London for everyone it is vital that we stand together and remember that we have far more in common than that which divides us.”