London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has allocated £875,000 to support over 20 grassroots projects aimed at combating hate crime, intolerance, and extremism across the city. The funding targets both far-right and Islamic extremism, focusing on equipping young people to safely intervene in hate crimes and identify harmful misinformation online. Among the organisations receiving support are the West Ham United Foundation, the Anne Frank Trust, and Tech Against Terrorism.
Over the past year, more than 21,200 hate crime incidents were recorded in London, a slight decrease from the previous year, yet City Hall emphasised that these figures remain “unacceptably high.” Cdr Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, highlighted growing concerns over children and young adults being drawn into extremism, noting that online platforms and emerging technologies are increasingly exploited by extremist groups to target vulnerable individuals.
Anti-racism organisations have welcomed the funding. Majid Iqbal, CEO of the Islamophobia Response Unit, described the investment as a positive step toward ensuring that all Londoners feel safe and respected, free from discrimination. The Anne Frank Trust plans to use its share of the funding to conduct workshops addressing antisemitism, Islamophobia, and prejudice, aiming to reach thousands of young Londoners and educate them on issues of extreme misogyny and hate.
This funding is part of Sir Sadiq Khan’s £16 million Shared Endeavour Fund, established in 2020, which has so far supported 115 projects addressing Islamophobia and other forms of hate crime. The Mayor emphasised the importance of community and police partnerships in ensuring that all residents of London feel safe and welcome amid increasingly divisive and uncertain times.
