Nottingham leaders united to take a stand against hate crime at a special event on Monday 15 October at the University of Nottingham.

Timed to coincide with the start of National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2018, the event emphasised the partnership approach being taken to tackle hate crime.

The ‘No to Hate’ event was organised to reaffirm the partnership’s commitment to tackling prejudice and hatred in all forms, and to send a clear message that there is ‘no place for hate’ in Nottingham.

Leaders from the community, education and public sectors got together to symbolise their commitment to the hate crime agenda.

The following leaders took part in the event:

• Professor Sarah Sharples, Pro Vice Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Nottingham
• Jess Lendon, President, University of Nottingham Students’ Union
• Professor Eunice Simmons, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Nottingham Trent University
• Bradley Fox, President, Nottingham Trent Students’ Union
• Police and Crime Commissioner, Paddy Tipping
• Cllr Toby Neal, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection, Nottingham City Council
• Cllr Linda Woodings, Assistant Portfolio Holder for Community Protection, Nottingham City Council
•  Janine Smith, Chief Crown Prosecutor, Crown Prosecution Service East Midlands
• Nick Murphy, Chief Executive, Nottingham City Homes
• Assistant Chief Constable Kate Meynell, Nottinghamshire Police
• Supt Matt McFarlane, Hate Crime lead for Nottinghamshire Police
• Andy Macey, Group Manager at Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service
• Ruth Hyde, Chief Executive of Broxtowe Borough Council and hate crime lead for the Safer Nottinghamshire Board
• Catherine Conchar, Associate Director Equality and Diversity, Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust
• Andy Hedgecock, Training and Development Manager, Nottingham City Transport Ltd

Nottingham is home to some ground breaking projects on hate crime, making valuable contributions to making Nottingham a city that is safe for all citizens. The following leaders were present from the voluntary and community sector:

• Wasim Amin, Chair, Nottingham Licensed Taxi Owners and Drivers Association
• Karen Aspley, Nottinghamshire Mencap
• Zaynab Asghar, Nottingham Muslim Women’s Network
• Katherine Cant, Head of Service for Victim CARE, Catch 22
• Michael Henry, Director, Communities Inc.
• Imran Hussain, Hackney Carriage Trade Representative for Unite the Union
• Jabraan Jalil, United Private Hire Drivers’ Union
• Alice Kelk, Fan Engagement Executive at Notts County FC
• Sajid Mohammed, CEO of Himmah and leader at Nottingham Citizens
• Shamas Mohammed, Workforce Development Manager Notts County FITC
• Helen Voce, Nottingham Women’s Centre

Professor Sarah Sharples, Pro Vice Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Nottingham, said: “Diverse communities are strong communities and hate crime of any sort has no place in society. Our University community celebrates tolerance, respect and diversity in all its forms and is pleased to back this campaign to ensure there is ‘No Place for Hate’ in the city we are proud to call home.”