Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has pledged a new investment of £875,000 to support community projects across London that are aimed at tackling extremism, hate, intolerance and radicalisation.
This latest grassroots funding marks the fourth year of the Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund and will provide assistance to 25 projects across London, which will deliver workshops and educational activities to empower 30,000 Londoners of all ages to challenge racist and hateful views in their communities.
According to the Home Office, the latest figures show an increasing number of younger people are being radicalised by extremist views, with police forces across the country arresting 32 children and teenagers under the age of 17 in 2022 for terror offences – the highest on record.
The Mayor’s latest funding initiative is timely, as violent extremism remains one of the biggest threats facing many cities worldwide. In the last 12 months, there have been 166 counter-terrorism arrests across the UK, and eight late-stage terror attacks have been foiled by police and security services. Furthermore, Counter Terrorism Policing and MI5 are currently engaged in more than 800 investigations across the country, with a large proportion of these in London.
The Mayor’s support for grassroots efforts to combat hate and radicalisation now totals a record £3m, which is more than any previous Mayor has provided. The Shared Endeavour Fund has already supported more than 70 projects since 2020, with over 90,000 Londoners benefitting.
Speaking about the latest initiative, Mayor 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.”
