Suffolk to mark National Hate Crime Awareness Week
Friday, 9th October 2015.
Beginning on 10 October, events will be taking place across the county to help raise local awareness and knowledge about reporting hate crimes.
With the theme of the week being “education”, hate crime partnership organisations will be raising awareness of what hate crime is, as well as how to respond to it, encouraging victim reporting, and promoting local support services and resources. People across the county including victims of hate crime, County Councillors and the Mayor of St Edmundsbury, have been showing support for the week by posing with the Hate Crime Candle as seen on the hate crime service Facebook
account.
From August 2014-July 2015 there were 608 hate crimes reported in Suffolk. 401 were racial, 107 disability, 73 sexual orientation, 15 religion and 12 transgender related incidents.
This year, St Paul’s Cathedral will launch National Hate Crime Awareness Week (10-17 October) with a vigil on Saturday 10 October; whilst St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds will be hosting a Suffolk Hate Crime Vigil on Thursday 15 October, (6.30pm -7.30pm). The event will start with a performance from 30 members of Hadleigh Community Choir and will feature speakers such Councillor Tony Goldson, cabinet member for Community Safety; Emma Free from Guide Dogs Association and Graham Holmes from Hadleigh Community Choir who have both been victims of hate crime. Ivan Humble, ex EDL member, who is now a campaigner against hate crime, will also be speaking at the event. Media are invited to attend the vigil. Please contact the press office for interview requests.
Cllr Tony Goldson, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said:
“I am pleased to be attending and speaking at the candle light vigil at the St Edmundsbury Cathedral as part of this year’s National Hate Crime Awareness week. By raising education and awareness in Suffolk, we will hopefully put a stop to hate crimes taking place in Suffolk.
“Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Constabulary are working with Victim Support and the Police & Crime Commissioner to further develop hate crime services for Suffolk in the coming months. This expanding partnership will ensure that victims and witnesses of hate crime in Suffolk will continue to receive a high level of support.”
Events will also be taking place throughout the week to help raise awareness in Sudbury, Ipswich, and Haverhill. These will include a befriending scheme open day in Bury St Edmunds, Phoenix Rising will be holding awareness sessions with school pupils in Sudbury whilst there will be workshops with students at West Suffolk College.
Companies have also pledged their support with Royal Bank of Scotland ( Bury St Edmunds branch) delivering disability awareness training to their staff and will become part of the Stay Safe Scheme; McDonalds’ across Suffolk are helping to raise awareness of hate and mate crime to their customers.
Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Passmore said:
“There’s no room in our society for intolerance and prejudice. It should not and will not be accepted in Suffolk. I’m delighted to join the Constabulary to support National Hate Crime Awareness Week and highlight the support that is available to anyone experiencing any form of hate crime.
“It is really important that victims have the confidence to report hate crime, if not to the police, to one of the partner agencies in the county. My message to those living with discrimination and prejudice is to speak up. Help is at hand, please do not suffer alone.”
Suffolk Constabulary Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Kearton said;
“Hate crime can take many forms and is defined as harassing, victimising, intimidating or abusing someone because of their race, faith, religion, belief or non-belief, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation. We would encourage individuals to report abuse of this nature as police and partner agencies can offer support, practical assistance and advice to help you decide what to do next.
“The Suffolk Hate Crime Service work closely with partners and community groups to raise awareness of hate crime and the importance of reporting incidents to the police, and great efforts have been made in recent years to gain the trust and confidence of victims, however we are aware this continues to be an area where there is under reporting.
“National Hate Crime Awareness Week aims to highlight the subject and to promote local support services so that victims know where to turn to for help.”
Ria Towill, Director and Tutor at Phoenix Rising said:
“We know through research, that education and training is a way forward to enable people to gain independence and choice, and we focus on these outcomes, delivering courses to vulnerable young people and adults with various social, learning, sensory and physical disabilities. We are passionate that education is available to everyone.
“We believe that people should have the freedom to be able to make choices about their lives and the services they receive, and to be empowered to have control over their future. I’m delighted to join the county council and various organisations to support National Hate Crime Awareness Week and highlight the support that is available to anyone experiencing any form of hate crime.”
For more information please visit the websites for Stop Hate UK and Suffolk Hate Crime Service. Phoenix Rising2031
With the theme of the week being “education”, hate crime partnership organisations will be raising awareness of what hate crime is, as well as how to respond to it, encouraging victim reporting, and promoting local support services and resources. People across the county including victims of hate crime, County Councillors and the Mayor of St Edmundsbury, have been showing support for the week by posing with the Hate Crime Candle as seen on the hate crime service Facebook
account.
From August 2014-July 2015 there were 608 hate crimes reported in Suffolk. 401 were racial, 107 disability, 73 sexual orientation, 15 religion and 12 transgender related incidents.
This year, St Paul’s Cathedral will launch National Hate Crime Awareness Week (10-17 October) with a vigil on Saturday 10 October; whilst St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds will be hosting a Suffolk Hate Crime Vigil on Thursday 15 October, (6.30pm -7.30pm). The event will start with a performance from 30 members of Hadleigh Community Choir and will feature speakers such Councillor Tony Goldson, cabinet member for Community Safety; Emma Free from Guide Dogs Association and Graham Holmes from Hadleigh Community Choir who have both been victims of hate crime. Ivan Humble, ex EDL member, who is now a campaigner against hate crime, will also be speaking at the event. Media are invited to attend the vigil. Please contact the press office for interview requests.
Cllr Tony Goldson, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said:
“I am pleased to be attending and speaking at the candle light vigil at the St Edmundsbury Cathedral as part of this year’s National Hate Crime Awareness week. By raising education and awareness in Suffolk, we will hopefully put a stop to hate crimes taking place in Suffolk.
“Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Constabulary are working with Victim Support and the Police & Crime Commissioner to further develop hate crime services for Suffolk in the coming months. This expanding partnership will ensure that victims and witnesses of hate crime in Suffolk will continue to receive a high level of support.”
Events will also be taking place throughout the week to help raise awareness in Sudbury, Ipswich, and Haverhill. These will include a befriending scheme open day in Bury St Edmunds, Phoenix Rising will be holding awareness sessions with school pupils in Sudbury whilst there will be workshops with students at West Suffolk College.
Companies have also pledged their support with Royal Bank of Scotland ( Bury St Edmunds branch) delivering disability awareness training to their staff and will become part of the Stay Safe Scheme; McDonalds’ across Suffolk are helping to raise awareness of hate and mate crime to their customers.
Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Passmore said:
“There’s no room in our society for intolerance and prejudice. It should not and will not be accepted in Suffolk. I’m delighted to join the Constabulary to support National Hate Crime Awareness Week and highlight the support that is available to anyone experiencing any form of hate crime.
“It is really important that victims have the confidence to report hate crime, if not to the police, to one of the partner agencies in the county. My message to those living with discrimination and prejudice is to speak up. Help is at hand, please do not suffer alone.”
Suffolk Constabulary Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Kearton said;
“Hate crime can take many forms and is defined as harassing, victimising, intimidating or abusing someone because of their race, faith, religion, belief or non-belief, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation. We would encourage individuals to report abuse of this nature as police and partner agencies can offer support, practical assistance and advice to help you decide what to do next.
“The Suffolk Hate Crime Service work closely with partners and community groups to raise awareness of hate crime and the importance of reporting incidents to the police, and great efforts have been made in recent years to gain the trust and confidence of victims, however we are aware this continues to be an area where there is under reporting.
“National Hate Crime Awareness Week aims to highlight the subject and to promote local support services so that victims know where to turn to for help.”
Ria Towill, Director and Tutor at Phoenix Rising said:
“We know through research, that education and training is a way forward to enable people to gain independence and choice, and we focus on these outcomes, delivering courses to vulnerable young people and adults with various social, learning, sensory and physical disabilities. We are passionate that education is available to everyone.
“We believe that people should have the freedom to be able to make choices about their lives and the services they receive, and to be empowered to have control over their future. I’m delighted to join the county council and various organisations to support National Hate Crime Awareness Week and highlight the support that is available to anyone experiencing any form of hate crime.”
For more information please visit the websites for Stop Hate UK and Suffolk Hate Crime Service. Phoenix Rising2031
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