Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has announced a further £875,000 investment in community-led initiatives designed to tackle hate crime, extremism and radicalisation across the capital. The funding comes amid growing concerns over rising levels of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred in London and across the UK.
According to recent figures, the Community Security Trust has recorded a 24 per cent increase in antisemitic incidents in London since the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, Tell MAMA has reported a sharp rise in anti-Muslim hate incidents, with more cases recorded in the first six months of 2026 than throughout the whole of 2023. The British Muslim Trust has also highlighted nine separate attacks on London mosques over the past 12 months.
The latest funding round of the Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund will support community organisations operating across all 32 London boroughs. The programme focuses on delivering workshops, training and educational activities that help young people identify and challenge hate, prejudice and extremist narratives, particularly online.
The new investment brings the Mayor’s total spending on initiatives tackling hate crime to £17 million since 2016, making it the largest commitment of its kind by any London Mayor.
The Shared Endeavour Fund supports organisations working to prevent radicalisation, improve community cohesion and equip young people with the skills needed to recognise misinformation, hateful content and extremist ideologies online.
The investment comes at a time of heightened concern over public safety. Earlier this year, the UK’s national terrorism threat level was raised from ‘substantial’ to ‘severe’, underlining the importance of preventative work aimed at protecting vulnerable individuals from radicalisation.
Alongside education and prevention programmes, the Mayor has also pushed for stronger community protection measures. Following a series of high-profile antisemitic incidents, including the stabbing of two men in Golders Green and an arson attack targeting Hatzola ambulances, the Metropolitan Police received additional government funding to establish a dedicated Community Protection Team.
The 300-officer unit combines neighbourhood policing with specialist protection officers to provide reassurance and enhanced security for London’s Jewish communities.
However, City Hall believes long-term progress depends on tackling the root causes of hate and extremism before they escalate. The Shared Endeavour Fund continues to work with organisations such as Tech Against Terrorism and other specialist partners to counter radicalisation, extremist messaging and terrorism-related threats.
Since its launch in 2020, the Shared Endeavour Fund has supported 138 projects across London and engaged more than 220,000 participants. A further 50,000 Londoners are expected to benefit from funded programmes over the next year.
Organisations receiving funding in the latest Shared Endeavour Fund round:
Stand UP! Education Against Discrimination
- Delivers classroom workshops addressing antisemitism and Islamophobia.
- Sessions are jointly led by Jewish and Muslim facilitators to encourage understanding and challenge prejudice.
Thoughtful
- Provides specialist teacher training.
- Helps educators develop the skills and confidence needed to support young people in rejecting hate, intolerance and extremist ideologies.
Tech Against Terrorism
- Delivers school-based workshops.
- Equips students with the tools to recognise online harms, misinformation, fake news and extremist content.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq 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.
“Programmes like my Shared Endeavour Fund are strengthening London’s communities against extremism, safeguarding Londoners vulnerable to radicalisation, promoting mutual respect and giving people the tools to recognise and stand up to hate and intolerance, as we build a better and safer London for everyone.”
Image credit: iStock
