Mayor announces fresh investment to fight hate crime and extremism in London

• Mayor announces further £875,000 funding to tackle hate crime, intolerance and extremism in all its forms 
• Funding is part of record £16m investment and will deliver projects to around 50,000 Londoners, supporting them to stand up to hate and intolerance including antisemitism and Islamophobia
• Sadiq urges Londoners to celebrate our diversity and differences and not let those who seek to divide prevail 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced a further £875,000 investment for more than 20 grassroots projects to fight hate crime, intolerance and extremism in all its forms in the capital.  

Part of the Mayor’s record £16m Shared Endeavour Fund,  this latest phase of funding will support around 50,000 Londoners across every borough to recognise and critically assess intolerant, hateful and extremist messages and empower them to safely challenge these narratives. This is on top of the 190,000 Londoners who have already benefited since the scheme was set up in 2020.

Organisations receiving funding include:

• The West Ham United Foundation will deliver anti-racism training alongside critical thinking workshops in schools, giving young Londoners aged 11-16 the skills to safely intervene when they spot hate or prejudice.
• The Anne Frank Trust UK will continue to deliver awareness raising sessions focussing on the impact of antisemitism and Islamophobia, helping young people understand how this prejudice can manifest and the harm it can cause.
• Tech Against Terrorism will deliver schools-based workshops helping students to recognise harmful and radicalising content online.  

The action comes as anti-migrant hotel protests are becoming more common place in the capital and arrests for those aged 17 and under for terror related offences in the UK remained high, with 43 arrests in the last year*.

Research by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate found that the social media platform X failed to act on 97 per cent of posts calling for violence against migrants or Muslims that are reported to the platform**. This rise is part of a pattern of hateful activity and misinformation which is becoming increasingly common and unchecked on social media. The Mayor’s investment encourages Londoners to continue to celebrate our diversity and reject hateful and divisive narratives.  

The latest phase of the record-breaking fund will bring together communities and counter hate, such as Islamophobia and antisemitism as well as Far-Right and Islamist extremism threats, by teaching young people how to identify and reject false and hateful narratives and how to safely intervene.

It will also tackle online conspiracy theories and misinformation, as seen with the disorder across the country following the Southport tragedy last year, teaching young people how to spot and factcheck hateful and radical narratives online and promote shared values to those at risk of radicalisation.

Latest statistics show that although reported hate crime incidents are falling across the capital, they still remain unacceptably high. There were more than 21,200 hate crime incidents recorded in London in the past 12 months, a reduction on the previous year***.

The Mayor remains committed to leading from the front to fight extremism in all its forms and today’s announcement is one of several measures Sadiq is taking to combat hate crime, radicalisation and misinformation. Earlier this year Sadiq launched his Loved and Wanted campaign to celebrate the capital’s diversity, inclusivity and unity in the face of uncertain and unsettling times across the globe.

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. It found that participants reported substantial improvements in their ability to recognise, critically engage with and resist hateful and extremist ideologies. Those who were identified as being vulnerable to radicalisation and extremist recruitment reported being more likely to challenge intolerant, hateful and extremist attitudes and behaviours.****

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Hate crime, extremism and intolerance has no place in London. That’s why I’m continuing to fund grassroot community groups which will benefit Londoners - giving them the skills they need to fight extremism and stand up to hate.  

“We are living in increasingly divisive and uncertain times and I know the worry and concern that this is having in our communities. That’s why I’m committed to working in close partnership with communities and the police to ensure everyone in the capital feels, and is, safe and welcome. I will always champion London’s diversity as our greatest strength and work to shape a city where people understand and respect one another, building a better and safer London for everyone.”  

Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Our concerns over children and young adults being drawn into extremism and terrorism continue to grow. We’re seeing record number of children in our casework and much of this is driven by what they are encountering online, with extremist and terrorist groups exploiting new and emerging technologies and channels to target and recruit those vulnerable to radicalisation.

“That is why it is so important that we also come up with new and innovative ways to counter these threats. It’s a whole societal problem, and so the partnerships between policing, local authorities, MOPAC, education establishments and the charity sector are critical to the shared mission of keeping children and young people safe in this modern world and keeping the wider public safe from terrorism.”

Cormac Hanrahan, Education Manager at West Ham United Foundation, said: “The West Ham United Foundation is proud to be a part of Call 6 of the Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund through its Stop the Hate project. The Stop the Hate project aims to increase young people’s understanding of racist, extremist, and prejudicial ideas and how these damage communities. Through this project, the Foundation has already engaged with over 16,000 young people in schools across East London, since it began in 2015. Receiving this new funding from the Mayor will allow the Foundation to build on the impactful work it has already delivered and reach even more young Londoners.”

Zubeda Limbada and Dr Laura Zahra McDonald, Directors at Connect Futures, said: “Connect Futures is proud and delighted to continue its partnership with the Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund. This year we are delivering two new projects that focus on giving young people the tools to question and challenge hateful and exploitative narratives and assist them to make positive choices. Through a critical thinking framework, the programmes tackle some of today’s most pressing challenges for young people - fake news, extremism, and gang exploitation - helping them to stay safe, resilient, and informed both online and offline.”

Adam Hadley CBE, Executive Director of Tech Against Terrorism, said: “Supporting young people to navigate online spaces safely is central to our mission. Through the Mayor’s funding we're able to work directly with young Londoners to provide them with practical skills to identify concerning content, understand reporting mechanisms, and support their peers. We're grateful to the Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund for supporting this initiative, and look forward to working together to strengthen digital resilience amongst London's young people and their communities.”

Ruth Martin, Grants Team Manager at Groundwork London, said: “Groundwork London are proud to be partnering with MOPAC on the Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund. This work is more important than ever, and Groundwork look forward to supporting successful grantees. We have been administrating the Fund since 2019 and it is a vital part of our charity’s aim to ensure the capital is a safe and inclusive place for everyone. This work sadly remains relevant and extremely necessary due to current national and global events. However, 21 new projects will be delivering impactful work building resilience and empowering individuals to counter these narratives, bringing hope and strengthening communities.”

Michael J. Williams, PhD: Director at The Science of P/CVE, said: “At The Science of P/CVE we apply robust social science research methods to evaluate programmes that counter extremism to build safer, more resilient communities. Since 2020, we've supported the Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund in its delivery of over 115 projects, reaching over 194,000 Londoners. Our independent evaluations have repeatedly shown that when civil society organisations are equipped with robust support and resources, they deliver measurable impact. The evidence confirms that targeted, research-driven investment empowers communities to build resilience and foster inclusion and that’s why we are delighted to see this new investment from the Mayor.”