Community
Anne Frank Trust chosen by Mayor of London to help tackle hate crime
The charity will be working in six boroughs across the capital
August 28, 2025 17:11
The charity will be working in six boroughs across the capital
August 28, 2025 17:11The Anne Frank Trust has been given funding by the Mayor of London to tackle hate crime in London.
The trust, which will receive £60,000, is one of 21 organisations chosen by City Hall to work towards social cohesion in the capital. A total of £875,000 is being distributed among the charities.
The Anne Frank Trust said it would be using the funding to run workshops on antisemitism, Islamophobia and extreme misogyny in schools across seven London boroughs, including Barnet, Camden and Tower Hamlets.
Judy Silkoff, acting co-chief executive of the Anne Frank Trust, said: “We are deeply grateful to the Mayor of London for this vital support. Hate crime is rising across our city, and we are seeing prejudice first-hand in classrooms. This funding will allow us to reach thousands more young Londoners with workshops on antisemitism, Islamophobia and extreme misogyny.
“Our data… shows young people leave our programmes with the tools, critical thinking skills and confidence they need to challenge and reject prejudice and hate. With the right resources, we can expand this impact even further – that is how we build a safer and more respectful London for everyone."
According to the Anne Frank Trust, research, carried out in conjunction with the University of Kent, found that of those pupils who had participated in the trust’s programmes between 2023 and 2024, over 95 per cent of them had improved their knowledge of prejudice, more than 90 per cent had better critical thinking skills, more than 80 per cent had increased empathy and agency, and over 55 per cent of Muslim students had “improved their attitudes towards Jewish people”.
The Mayor’s announcement comes after a surge in antisemitic attacks since October 7, 2023 and the ensuing war in Gaza, with the latest figures from CST revealing that there were over 1,500 antisemitic incidents in the UK during the first half of 2025.
There has also been an increase in attacks against Muslims and immigrants, with thousands of protesters demonstrating against the use of hotels for asylums seekers at the weekend. This comes a year after an estimated 29 demonstrations and riots took place across the UK, which saw protesters attacking mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers.
According to government data, there were over 40 arrests for those aged 17 and under for terror-related offences in the last year.
The latest investment forms part of Sadiq Khan’s £16m Shared Endeavour Fund, set up in 2020, and is expected to help around 50,000 Londoners “recognise and critically assess intolerant, hateful and extremist messages and empower them to safely challenge these narratives”, said the Mayor’s office.
Khan added: “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.”
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