At HOPE not hate, we spend much of our time reacting to issues - be it responding to community tensions, provocative far right marches or preventing extremist candidates winning elections. This is vital work but it also leaves us frustrated that we don’t have time to tackle long term divisions in communities.
Now HOPE not hate is piloting a new initiative to do just that. We are calling it the ‘Post-Industrial Communities Project’ and it will see us work in areas where hope has been lost and local people feel left behind and ignored.
We are planning to run four initial projects across the UK which, if successful, can be rolled out as a model to other areas.
We’ve put in an initial bid to The Big Give who accepted us onto their Christmas Challenge and will be match funding anything we raise over the next 72 hours.
Support our project and see your donation matched:
Communities in ‘post-industrial’ areas have increasingly abandoned hope in mainstream politics. Towns which have lost their industry have also often lost their identity. Where once there were large industrial employers, strong unions, sports and social clubs, there are now fractured communities where people no longer know, or care for, their neighbours.
Going into these communities with ‘myth-busting’ anti-racist narratives does nothing to change the levels of anger and mistrust. Often it just reinforces a sense of being patronized and treated as ignorant.
Our new project addresses the underlying concerns of local communities: economic insecurity and the sense of being powerless. And only through improving people’s lives can we really hope to break down racism and division.
Please support this essential work
Today is Giving Tuesday, and our pilot project in Merthyr Tydfil has been entered into The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge, so for the next 72 hours every penny you donate will be matched.
In fact, The Big Give donors have pledged up to £13,000 to our project so if we can raise £13,000 over the next 72 hours then HOPE not hate will receive £26,000.
This is just too good an opportunity to miss. So, if you are able to make just one more donation to us this year please let it be for this. Your donation will be worth double and you will be contributing to a really vital and exciting initiative.
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