Mayor announces record new funding to help Londoners stand up to hate and extremism following rise in antisemitic and anti Muslim hate

• Mayor announces a further £875,000 for his Shared Endeavour Fund and commits to tackling misinformation, prejudice and intolerance in London’s communities and online
• Londoners will be given the tools to safely challenge and spot harmful narratives and counter hate 
• Sadiq has now invested £17 million in initiatives to tackle hate crime - more than any other Mayor
• A record number of organisations applied to the fund, with 17 grassroots groups set to deliver training and workshops across every London borough 
• The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to impact the capital with antisemitic incidents increasing in the first half of the year and rising rates of anti-Muslim hate in the past five years 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced further funding to tackle hate crime and extremism in all its forms, as reports of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate continue to rise in London and across the UK.

Since the start of the year the Community Security Trust has recorded a 24 per cent increase in the number of antisemitic incidents in London*. Tell Mama has reported sharp increases in anti Muslim hate in the capital, with more incidents in the first six months of 2026 than in all of 2023** and the British Muslim Trust reported nine separate mosque attacks in London in the last 12 months***.

The Mayor is investing a further £875,000 in the latest round of his Shared Endeavour Fund to support grassroots groups across London’s 32 boroughs to deliver workshops and training in schools and the community. It means that since 2016, Sadiq has invested £17 million in initiatives to tackle hate crime - more than any other Mayor.

The fund backs organisations dedicated to preventing radicalisation and helping young people identify and challenge hateful and extremist content online, while protecting young Londoners vulnerable to extremism.

Earlier this year the UK national terrorism threat level was raised from ‘substantial’ to ‘severe’. The Shared Endeavour Fund will counter the narrative of those trying to tear communities apart and equip young people with the skills and knowledge to identify hate and prejudice and improve understanding amongst different community groups. 

Following a number of high-profile antisemitic incidents including the stabbing of two men in Golders Green and an arson attack on Hatzola ambulances, and thanks to lobbying from the Mayor, the Met Police was given extra funding from Government to deliver a new Community Protection Team. The 300 officers combine neighbourhood policing and dedicated specialist Met protection teams to reassure and protect London’s Jewish communities.   

However, the only long term solution to hate and extremism is prevention work and that is why the Mayor continues to lead from the front with record funding for grassroots organisations that counter hate, extremism and radicalisation in the capital. That’s why the fund will continue to work with organisations including Tech Against Terrorism and others to counter extremism, radicalisation and terrorism. 

Since the Shared Endeavour Fund started in 2020 it has supported 138 projects across the capital and worked with over 220,000 participants. In the coming year the fund will work with a further 50,000 Londoners.  

Successful organisations in Call 7 of the Shared Endeavour Fund include:  

1. Stand UP! Education Against Discrimination - Deliver classroom workshops on antisemitism and Islamophobia, led jointly by Jewish and Muslim facilitators to promote understanding and challenge prejudice.  
2. Thoughtful - Provide teacher training, helping educators equip young people with the skills to reject hate, intolerance and extremist ideologies.  
3. Tech Against Terrorism - Run schools-based workshops equipping students to recognise online harms, misinformation, fake news and extremist content.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “There’s absolutely no place for hate crime in our capital and I’m committed to working with partners to help tackle this scourge.

“As the disgusting attacks on London’s Jewish and Muslim communities have shown and rising rates of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate in the capital, there is a small minority who continue to use the ongoing conflict in the Middle East to sow seeds of division. They will never prevail and Londoners will always be united against these malicious acts of hatred.  

“Programmes like my Shared Endeavour Fund are strengthening London’s communities against extremism, safeguarding Londoners vulnerable to radicalisation, promoting mutual respect and giving people the tools to recognise and stand up to hate and intolerance, as we build a better and safer London for everyone.” 

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing in London, said: “The scale and complexity of the radicalisation threat facing children and young people is deeply concerning. Record numbers of children are becoming involved in our casework, with online platforms and emerging technologies providing extremists with new opportunities to reach and influence those who are vulnerable to radicalisation.

“Protecting young people from radicalisation is a responsibility that extends far beyond policing. It requires a coordinated effort across schools, local authorities, government, families, community organisations and the charity sector to identify risks early and provide the right support before harm occurs.

“By working together, sharing expertise and investing in innovative approaches to prevention, we can help ensure that children and young people are safer online, more resilient to extremist influences and better protected from those who seek to cause harm. These partnerships remain vital to safeguarding our communities and keeping the public safe from terrorism."

Dan Green, Chief Executive of the Anne Frank Trust. said: "The Anne Frank Trust UK is an anti-prejudice education charity. We see every day the unprecedented challenges facing young people, where misinformation and polarisation create fertile ground for rising antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of prejudice. We are grateful to the Mayor of London's Shared Endeavour Fund for continuing to invest in this vital work. It will give thousands more young Londoners the knowledge, empathy and confidence to challenge prejudice, empowering them to become active upstanders in their schools and communities."

Emma Swinn MBE, Director of Operations and Development at Thoughtful, said: "We are delighted to have been selected for the seventh round of the Mayor's Shared Endeavour Fund – a programme that has meant a great deal to us, and to London schools, for six years now.

“The need for this work has never felt more urgent. Children as young as seven are encountering extremist narratives, misogyny and online radicalisation, and most teachers have had little or no training in how to respond. Challenging Extremism Thoughtfully uses Philosophy for Children to help teachers create the kind of open, structured classroom dialogue where young people can explore and challenge difficult ideas — rather than encounter them only online, without guidance.

“This year we hope to reach up to 60 primary teachers across London. One who took part last year said it will be 'more crucial to children than most subjects in the coming years.' We are grateful to the Mayor of London, MOPAC and Groundwork London for helping us make that possible."                                                        

Matteo Bergamini MBE, CEO & Founder of Shout Out UK, said: “At Shout Out UK, we are thrilled and proud to receive this funding from the MOPAC's Shared Endeavour Fund to expand our vital media literacy and anti-radicalisation work across London. By combining prebunking techniques with hands-on critical thinking, our workshops will directly equip young Londoners - and the broader school community - with the cognitive tools needed to spot online manipulation and build lasting resilience against extremist narratives.”

Charolotte Argan, Stand Up! Education Against Discrimination Manager, said: “Record levels of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate, alongside record numbers of Prevent referrals and children being arrested for terrorism offences, present a significant challenge to one of the world’s most diverse cities and home to the UK’s largest Muslim and Jewish communities. Young people are increasingly exposed to extremist ideologies, conspiracy theories and misinformation online. In this rapidly changing environment, the need for the Shared Endeavour Fund’s support for grassroots educational initiatives like ours has never been greater, enabling us to equip young Londoners with the knowledge, confidence and skills to recognise, challenge and reject extremism wherever they encounter it.”