Hate crime in London: supporting the victims / preventing the crime

“No, I am not joking” – I said.

“So, you’re telling me I could report something like that?” their voice was sharp, disbelieving.

“Yes, you could”.

“If I reported every single time someone called me names because of where I’m from, I wouldn’t have time to do anything else in my life”.

This conversation, or some variation of it, has happened countless times throughout my career and personal life. It’s equal part saddening and infuriating. It’s a reminder of the resilience many communities show, and a sharp illustration of how ​“normal” hate crime can feel to those who experience it regularly.

Hate crime is not just about the statistics, policies, or reports – it’s about people. It’s about the individuals who are too afraid to leave their homes, who don’t hold their partner’s hand, who stop taking the bus or visiting their favourite places because of harassment. And it’s about the communities who carry this pain together, sometimes without the words to name it.

This is what drives my work every single day.

The Stronger Communities team which I manage at Protection Approaches is dedicated to how we ensure communities have the knowledge, tools and resources they need to be able to prevent anyone being targeted because of who they are, and to ensure that they can get the right support if they are.

It is all about partnership, working with organisations, each deeply rooted in their respective communities.

These organisations know their communities better than anyone else. They know their challenges, their triumphs, and their fears. What they often lack, however, is the knowledge, tools, and resource to identify hate crime, to prevent it and support victims effectively. 

Too often, I hear stories about people experiencing abuse or harassment, but when they share those experiences with those they trust the most in their community, such as at their local community or faith group, they are met with uncertainty: ​“Is this serious enough to report? What can we even do about it?”

That’s where our work comes in.

Through our City Bridge Foundation-funded Hate Crime Community Capacity Building programme, we collaborate with a group of diverse organisations supporting marginalised communities often targeted by hate crime, such as Gypsies and Travellers, LGBTQI+ individuals, people with learning disabilities, and migrant communities.

We equip these organisations with funding, tailored training, and essential skills to empower them to create impactful initiatives.

But we don’t stop there. This is a long-term partnership; our support continues as these organisations develop and implement initiatives tailored to their communities. These efforts focus on preventing hate crime, raising awareness, or directly supporting victims.

We provide guidance and assistance every step of the way to ensure their initiatives are successful and sustainable, fostering resilience and understanding at every level.

This work reimagines funding. It recognises that communities know what they need, and that trust is already there, but that they can’t do it alone. They need support to understand best practices, avoid past mistakes, and build sustainable solutions. 

The desire for such capacity building was one of the key outcomes of a recent consultation we undertook with more than 100 community-based organisations.

For me, this work is deeply personal. I’ve been a victim of hate crime many times. Growing up, I didn’t have the language to call it that, but I knew the way my family and I were treated wasn’t okay. I’ve seen how hate crime can rob people of their confidence, their freedom, and even their sense of self-worth.

This mission isn’t just about getting people to report incidents or increase statistics. It’s about empowerment. It’s about giving communities the tools and confidence to say, ​“This is not okay.” It’s about ensuring that no one feels they have to endure abuse in silence or change who they are to avoid being targeted.

Szymon Glowacki is Programme Manager of the Stronger Communities team at Protection Approaches.