Mayor announces further investment to counter hate crime and extremism as Middle East crisis deepens

Mayor announces further investment to counter hate crime and extremism as Middle East crisis deepens

• New £875,000 investment by Mayor will empower grassroot groups to tackle hate, intolerance and extremism in their communities.
• Mayor calls for Londoners to stand united and not let the appalling escalation in the conflict in Lebanon and Israel lead to an increase in hate crime here.
• Action will work to counter steep rises in antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crime and the growth of far-right narratives online.
• Latest funding forms part of the Mayor’s record £15million investment to tackle hate and extremism as new figures show record-breaking numbers of young people being arrested for terrorism offences.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced a further £875,000 investment for grassroots community projects to tackle hate, intolerance, extremism, radicalisation and terrorism in the capital.

The funding will empower grassroot groups across London to bring communities together and counter steep rises in antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes¹ and the growth of far-right narratives online over the past year.

The action comes amid calls for unity from the Mayor who continues to work closely with the police and community leaders to ensure everyone in the capital feels safe and is safe amid the appalling escalation in the conflict in Lebanon, Israel, Gaza and the wider region. 

The announcement forms part of the Mayor’s record £15million investment²– more than any other mayor - to support victims of hate crime and tackle hate and extremism in London’s communities. It comes as new Home Office figures show record-breaking numbers of young people aged below 17 are being arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences. ³

The funding will support 20 groups including The Anne Frank Trust UK to deliver workshops that challenge anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate; Stand Up! - an interfaith project which brings Jewish and Muslim educators into the classroom to facilitate informal conversations with young people and empower them to act against racism and discrimination with a specific focus on antisemitism and Islamophobia; and EXIT Hate UK which works with young people aged 14-18 to help them understand the dangers posed by extreme right-wing ideologies.

The Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund is working to empower Londoners of all ages to challenge hateful views in their communities, better protect those vulnerable to radicalisation and stop the spread of growing hateful ideologies including the far-right. Since the grassroots fund was launched in 2020, £4million has been invested in 95 completed projects which has included delivery in each London borough with more than 140,000 Londoners having benefited. A further 20 projects will be delivered over the next 6 months with more than 50,000 Londoners expected to benefit as a result of the Mayor’s latest investment which will deliver workshops, educational activities and interfaith community programmes.

The latest independent evaluation of the Shared Endeavour Fund found that the Mayor’s investment is working to build Londoners’ resilience to radicalisation and extremist recruitment as well as reducing racism, intolerance, hate and extremism in the capital. ⁴

The funding comes just ahead of the first anniversary of the horrific Hamas attacks on October 7th, actions of the IDF in Gaza, the devastating ensuing conflict and appalling humanitarian and hostage crisis which continues to impact so many Londoners - particularly those with family and friends in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank and the wider region. 

It also follows recent disorder in the UK this July which was largely fuelled by misinformation, racism and extremism promoted by far-right groups online.

The latest action is part of a package of measures by the Mayor to tackle rising hate crime and misinformation and is being delivered alongside continued work with the Met Police and community leaders to ensure all of London’s communities feel safe and are safe.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “We know that an escalation in conflict in the Middle East often leads to an increase in hate crime here in London. With the appalling further escalation of the conflict in Lebanon, Israel, Gaza and the region, I’m appealing to Londoners to continue to look out for their friends and neighbours whatever their faith and backgrounds and stand united against all forms of hate.

“We have seen an abhorrent and completely unacceptable rise in hate crime over the last year – particularly antisemitism and Islamophobia which has profoundly impacted our Jewish and Muslim communities in London. I’m determined to continue to work in partnership with community, faith and police leaders to ensure everyone in the capital feels safe and is safe.

“Hate crime comes in many forms and I’m determined to tackle it head on by investing in grassroots projects which empower our communities to stand up to hate and intolerance where they are, so that we can stop the spread of hateful narratives, reject extremist ideologies and do more to safeguard vulnerable young Londoners from radicalisation and misinformation online.

“At a time of rising tension and online hate, this scheme will continue to build bridges across communities, embrace what we have in common and help ensure Londoners of all backgrounds and faiths feel welcome, safe and can thrive.”

Met Assistant Commissioner, Matt Twist, said: “Nobody should feel unsafe or in fear going about their lives in this city, certainly not on the basis of their race or religion.

“Since October last year we have seen a really concerning rise in hate crime with both antisemitic and Islamophobic offences increasing significantly. For the past year we have had a dedicated policing operation tackling hate crime in communities, responding to significant protest, countering extremism and terrorism, and working to provide reassurance particularly in parts of London with significant Jewish and Muslim populations.

“As the situation in the Middle East becomes less certain once again, we know that fears and tensions will rise here at home too. Our work, which is underpinned by engagement with community representatives and with our key partners, will continue. Together, we are determined to demonstrate that there will be no tolerance for hate crime in London.”

Ruth Martin, Grants Team Manager at Groundwork London, said:  "Groundwork London supports London's diverse communities to ensure the capital is a vibrant, safe, and respectful place for everyone. We are proud to continue working with MOPAC to support the Shared Endeavour Fund, which is now in its fifth year. So far, the fund has supported over 90 initiatives across London, which has impacted over 140,000 Londoners. We look forward to working with new and returning grant recipients as they deliver their projects to counter hate, intolerance and radicalisation in their communities and reach those most in need."

Zaynab Albadry, Project Manager, Stand Up Education Against Discrimination, said: “The Stand Up! Education Against Discrimination project has been awarded funding by the Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund for 5 consecutive years. Tens of thousands of young people have participated in free anti-discrimination workshops raising awareness about racism and prejudice and empowering them to act against hate, discrimination, antisemitism, and anti-Muslim hate.

“Our partners, the CST and Tell MAMA have warned of the growth in both anti-Muslim hate and antisemitism, with incidents targeting these communities worryingly becoming more aggressive. Thanks to this latest funding, even more young Londoners will meet our Jewish and Muslim facilitators to breakdown misconceptions and stereotypes targeting minority communities. Through this project participants will be assisted to navigate difficult climates and issues to feel empowered becoming the leaders of tomorrow, modelling a respective and welcoming environment for their communities and wider British Society.”

Tim Robertson, Chief Executive of The Anne Frank Trust UK, said: “Educating against prejudice is an urgent national priority, and we’re experts at it here at the Anne Frank Trust UK. But finding the necessary funding is really tough right now. So I’m massively grateful to the Mayor of London’s Shared Endeavour Fund for enabling us to bring our programme to thousands of young Londoners. This is totally the right initiative at exactly the right time.”

Nigel Bromage, Founder of EXIT Hate UK, said: “Funding from MOPAC's Shared Endeavour Fund is crucial to combating hate, extremism and terrorism.  Through the Mayor of London’s funding we have been able to deliver impactful projects year on year which challenge Far Right hate narratives and boost the capacity of frontline practitioners and family members to keep those vulnerable to radicalisation safe.

“This year’s delivery is more important than ever with the risk of Far Right extremism increasing in the aftermath of horrific recent disorder across parts of the country. We will be working with even more frontline practitioners and young Londoners to provide awareness raising on the dangers of Far Right radicalisation whilst also providing non-judgemental help and support to those that need it.”