National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2024

National Hate Crime Awareness Week is a week of action to encourage local authorities, key partners and communities affected by hate crime to work together to tackle local hate crime issues.

In 2024, the theme for National Hate Crime Awareness Week is ‘in solidarity with those affected by homophobic hate crime targeted towards the LGBT+ community’. You can find out more about this week on the National Hate Crime Awareness website or on social media.

Stockport Council is committed to creating an environment where staff and residents are treated with dignity and respect, and where all forms of bullying harassment and hate crime are not tolerated. We want to ensure that our community, is free from all forms of prejudice, discrimination, harassment, and bullying and is an inclusive place to live and work.

What is a hate crime?

Hate crimes are acts of violence or hostility directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are.

They can take many different forms:
• someone may have damaged your property because of the colour of your skin
• you may have been sent offensive letters because of what you believe
• someone may have behaved violently towards you because of who you love

No hate crime is acceptable. We all have a right to live without fear, hostility and intimidation from others because of who we are.

Hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s characteristic or perceived characteristic:
• disability
• race
• religion or belief
• sexual orientation
• trans and gender reassignment
• alternative sub-culture

Why you should report hate crime?

Reporting hate crimes makes a big difference: the police, Stop Hate UK, Stockport Community Safety Partnership and other organisations can take action against the perpetrator, and support victims and witnesses.

It helps us make local areas safer.

It helps us understand how hate crime affects your community and how we can tackle the problem.

How to report hate crime

Does the hate crime put you, your family or your property in immediate danger?

If yes: phone 999 and ask for the police
If no: contact Stop Hate UK.

They'll provide support, listen and explore all options. Call them on their 24 hour helpline. All calls will be treated confidentially:
• call: 0800 138 1625
• text: 07717 989 025
• text relay: 18001 0113 293 5100
• BSL: report hate crime through InterpreterNow
• email: talk@stophateuk.org
• online: use the online form to report any hate crimes
• post: PO Box 851, Leeds, LS1 9QS

You can also find a number of other local agencies on the Stop Hate UK website