This week is Hate Crime Awareness Week and the Safer Trafford Partnership are coming together to support the initiative.
The partnership, a multi-agency group that includes, Trafford Council, Greater Manchester Police, The Fire Service and local Housing Associations, have organised a programme of activities, stalls and workshops through this week.
These include the launch of a Refugees Support Network at UA92 on Tuesday February 4. The event will be a round-table discussion as to what vital and practical support organisations can offer refugees and asylum seekers in Trafford.
Throughout the week the Safer Trafford Partnership will be in town centres and communities talking to local residents about hate crime and delivering training to organisations. There will be lots of social media messaging linking activity across Greater Manchester, using #westandtogether.
There is also a range of community projects that have been funded through the Safer Trafford Partnerships Hate Crime Awareness Grant Scheme.
These include awareness raising activities in schools, engaging with young people, families and carers to take a positive stance and supporting our diverse communities to tackle hate crime.
Cllr Mike Freeman, Trafford Council Executive member for Public Safety, Governance and Reform, said:
Hate Crime Awareness Week comes at an opportune time; the UK having last week left the EU. It is essential as a Trafford community that we stand together against hatred and discrimination and raise awareness of the damage this behaviour does to community cohesion. I hope the week is a success and the projects that we have funded increase awareness about the reporting of hate crime as well as providing our communities understanding of what constitutes hate crime and the impact it has on our neighbourhoods.”
The Council has organised a number of events to support the initiative this week including setting up awareness stands at various locations across Trafford.
A number of Trafford organisations have been awarded grants to mark this year’s awareness week: Art with Heart have been given £380; St John’s Centre has been given £500; The Urban Fitness Collective has been awarded £500 to run a hate crime debate and awareness raising sessions for 25 young people; Pulling Together Asian Women’s Group has £500 and Rehoboth for Families, Children and Young People has also been awarded £500.
Posted on Tuesday 4th February 2020