Mayor of London announces funding to tackle hate & extremism

The Mayor of London has announced £875,000 of funding intended to empower communities to tackle hate, intolerance and extremism.

This is the fifth year of the grassroots Shared Endeavour Fund which is working to empower Londoners to challenge racist and hateful views in their communities, better protect those vulnerable to radicalisation and stop the spread of hateful ideologies.

According to the Mayor of London, more than 140,000 Londoners have benefitted from the grassroots scheme since 2020.

The announcement comes as recent figures 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.

The new funding 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 funding are now open and will close at Midnight on 5 May 2024. Projects will be able to apply for funding of up to £100,000.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “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.”