Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is pumping £875,000 into tackling anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim extremism in the capital.
It comes after the Community Security Trust (CST) announced a 24 per cent increase in antisemitic incidents in the first half of this year.
The money is being put into Khan’s Shared Endeavour Fund, which will help finance 17 grassroots groups delivering training and workshops across all 32 London boroughs.
The groups will tackle antisemitism, anti-Muslim hate and other forms of racism.
Monitoring group 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.
The grassroots groups will focus on strengthening communities against extremism, encouraging Londoners to stand up to hate and intolerance, safeguarding Londoners vulnerable to radicalisation and stopping the spread of hateful ideologies.
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.”
Dan Green, Chief Executive of the Anne Frank Trust, a group that works to tackle prejudice, said: “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.”
Green added the Anne Frank Trust was grateful to Khan for the funding.
Earlier this year, the UK’s terror threat level was lifted to “severe”. This came amid a string of attacks on the Jewish community including the stabbing attack in Golders Green which hospitalised two men. There have also been several attacks on the Muslim community, including at mosques.
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.”
Academic institutions have also come under fire over the last few years for failing to deal with campus hate.
Earlier in the year, the JC reported that the UAE was no longer offering its students grants to study in the UK due to the risk of radicalisation.
Thoughtful, a charity which helps tackle radicalisation among children, is one of the 17 organisations receiving funding from the mayor. It encourages open discussion in classrooms on difficult questions before the young people see radical answers online.
Emma Swinn MBE, Director of Operations and Development at the charity, said: “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.”
A total of £17 million has been put into initiatives tackling hate crime during Khan’s decade-long tenure as Mayor of London.
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