Staff and residents in Bury St Edmunds create #StopHate board

During Hate Crime Awareness week, staff and residents at our Bury St Edmunds accommodation setting have put together a Stop Hate Crime board consisting of information, pictures and facts about discrimination and what can be done to support those who feel targeted.

Sarah (Accommodation Project Worker) said:

“#StopHate for us is about making the residents aware of the support and resources they can find within their community, and what actions they can take if they are targeted in a hate crime. We want every young person to know that we will stand by them should any threat occur, and we care deeply for their autonomy and safety.

Fortunately, we have not had any hate crimes reported to us by our current residents. However, #StopHate is much more than that, as we do have a diverse group of residents and want them all to feel welcome and included. I know there have been instances where some of our Black residents have felt uncomfortable due to being in the minority in Bury, and deal with those insidious microaggressions which occur. We have various faiths on our site as well, and want to ensure differences in beliefs are respected.

It is also about educating the wider community to experiences, lifestyles, and appearances which may be different to what we are accustomed to; becoming aware of our own prejudices and stereotyping, and the way we all contribute to the overarching issues of racism and xenophobia. What can we do as individuals in order to stand up against these issues and work to eradicate them? Are we behaving and holding ourselves in a way where people will feel comfortable to confide in us if they are feeling threatened, anxious, or have been discriminated against? These are some of the questions we hope this material will plant in the minds of the observer.”