Students at Ramsgate’s Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School have donated £1004 to Stop Hate UK; anti-hate and anti-discrimination organisation.
Stop Hate UK was chosen by the students of the Rothschild-Pearce house to be the charity of choice for this academic year after receiving the most student votes in a poll of four charities.
The donation was presented to Libertines band member Gary Powell, who is an ambassador for the organisation, during a school assembly.
The student who put the nomination forward for Stop Hate UK was 6th former Mary, who said: “There have been protests against racism in not just America but the UK too. It’s important to remember and reinforce through education that racism is not just an American issue and it is a very prevalent one in the UK.
“Through research I found a UK charity which provides support for people that have suffered hate crimes including racism, homophobia, transphobia and sexism. They employ trained caseworkers to help victims deal with mental trauma. There’s a small minority of black, people of an ethnic background and LGBTQ+ at CCGS and that’s why I believe it’s even more important to ensure students are educated in current problems.
“Unfortunately at some point in their lives many students at CCGS will suffer hate crimes whether that be racism, homophobia etc. and it’s important they know such acts aren’t tolerated and that there are places to go for support. I think that as a school it’s important to show solidarity and it opens up the gateways for important conversations that need to happen.
“Kent in general is known to have very high hate crime rates. Just between the years 2015-2018 there was a 193% increase. I understand the majority of students won’t be affected by this but it’s important to highlight that to students instead of allowing ignorance to overtake. This won’t stop anytime soon without proper education and information which I believe this charity can do. “CCGS as a school can bring light to the cause and make that difference..”
Head of House for Rothschild-Pearce (Upper School), Fay Shuttle, welcomed the opportunity for Stop Hate UK ambassador Gary to visit for a meet and greet, a presentation about Stop Hate UK and its work, to celebrate the fundraising achievements of the school and accept the cheque.
Gary has strong links and interest in Thanet; The Libertines sponsor Margate FC and own their recording studio and hotel in Cliftonville.
Fundraising events organised by the students ran over the course of the House charity week and included a wall of kindness, chess competitions, teacher vs. student dodgeball, cake sales, raffles and more.
Mrs Shuttle said students and staff were “over the moon with the total raised for this important cause to promote compassion and mutual respect for all – and had much fun in the process!”
Stop Hate UK is a leading anti-hate and anti-discrimination organisation for corporate, statutory and community sectors. Today, the charity operates the UK’s only free dedicated 24-hour anti-Hate Crime reporting service for all monitored strands of a person’s identity or perceived identity (Disability, Race, Faith, Sexual Orientation, and Transgender Identity, as well as Age and Alternative Subculture).
Stop Hate UK was originally established in direct response to the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993. In 2006, the Stop Hate Line was in response to The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry 1999, Recommendation 16: “That all possible steps should be taken by police services at the local level in consultation with local Government and other agencies and local communities to encourage the reporting of racist incidents and crimes. This should include: the ability to report at locations other than police stations; and the ability to report 24-hours a day.”
The 24-hour helpline remains at the core of Stop Hate UK and the organisation’s reporting services continue to expand and support people affected by all forms of hate and discrimination.
Read more here: https://www.stophateuk.org
