The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced a new £875,000 investment to support community projects tackling extremism, hate, intolerance and radicalisation across London.
The new grassroots funding marks the fourth year of the Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund and will help 25 projects across London run workshops and educational activities to empower 30,000 Londoners of all ages to challenge racist and hateful views in their communities.
Latest figures from the Home Office show that more younger people are being radicalised by extremist views, with police forces across the country arresting 32 children and teenagers under-17 in 2022 for terror offences, the highest on record.
Violent extremism remains one of the biggest threats facing many cities around the world, and in the last 12 months alone there have been 166 counter terrorism arrests across the UK and eight late-stage terror attacks have been foiled by police and security services. Counter Terrorism Policing and MI5 are also currently engaged in more than 800 investigations across the country, with a large proportion of these in London.
This latest funding brings the Mayor’s total support for grassroot efforts to stand up to hate and radicalisation to a record £3m – more than any other previous mayor.
The Shared Endeavour Fund has already supported more than 70 projects since 2020, with over 90,000 Londoners benefitting.
Projects include Arc Theatre, who use live theatre to improve empathy and understanding of how it feels to be on the receiving end of hate, the Chelsea Foundation, who deliver assemblies and support teachers to facilitate discussions on racism, hate, intolerance and extremism, and the Future Leaders programme, who deliver workshops with 16-18 year olds that empower the next generation of Londoners to stand up for diversity and speak out against hate, driving positive change in their local communities and in their schools and colleges.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said, “Keeping Londoners safe is my top priority, and funding these vital community projects is empowering Londoners to stand up against all forms of hate, intolerance and extremism.
“A record number of young people were arrested for terrorism offences last year and deadly plots to harm Londoners continue to be foiled.
“With the rising cost of living crisis impacting so many who may be vulnerable and disaffected, it’s crucial the Government follow our lead and prioritise tackling the threat of terrorism and extremism in our communities and online so we can continue to build a safe London for everyone.”
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command added, “We welcome any opportunity to identify new ways to prevent people being drawn into violent extremism and terrorism.
“Our Prevent teams work with a range of partners, including local authorities, the Mayor’s Office, community groups and individuals and families in supporting those vulnerable to extremist views and steer them away from a path toward radicalisation.
“But none of this is possible without the support of the public and we remain committed to working closely with the people of London so that we can keep people safe from the threat of terrorism and violent extremism.”
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