About Us

The HOPE not hate campaign was founded in 2004 to provide a positive antidote to the politics of hate.

At that time, the British National Party (BNP) was winning substantial votes and local councillors in our northern towns and traditional anti-racist and anti-fascist campaigns were not having an impact.

HOPE not hate was established to offer a more positive and community-focused way of doing anti-fascism. We prioritised working in communities to town centre demonstrations and we engaged and spoke to local people. We realised that the far right were tapping into a wider mood of alienation and hardship that needed addressing.

And we have had some amazing success! Across Britain, HOPE not hate has worked tirelessly on the ground with local people to defeat the politics of hate.

Our campaigning has always been backed up by first class research and intelligence. We have exposed the illegal activities of extremist groups, and been able to foil serious plots to commit acts of violence and even terror.

But perhaps more importantly, we have worked proactively to make individuals and communities more resilient to hate

Since 2010, we have built peaceful and positive resistance to attempts by the English Defence League to divide communities, offered support to and run joint initiatives with Muslim organisations and have campaigned against Islamist extremism.

In May 2013, just days after the murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich, over 47,000 people signed our ‘We Are The Many’ letter, which spoke out against the EDL’s attempts to whip up anti-Muslim hatred and the Islamist extremists who were behind the murder.

Our community organising work is backed up by ground breaking research and surveys, which allow us to focus our efforts on the areas of the country most vulnerable to hate. In 2011 HOPE not hate commissioned a ground-breaking survey of public opinion which resulted in our first Fear and HOPE report, followed up by further surveys in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Following the devastating murder of Jo Cox MP, we ran a national response, focussing on bringing people back together to celebrate what they have in common, culminating in 100s of events across the country for a More In Common weekend in September 2016. With everything from picnics in the park to big community festivals, the weekend was designed to inject positivity at a time when many were reeling from her murder, and from the negative rhetoric used during the EU referendum campaign.

After running a pilot project, in 2017 our Education Department launched as a fully-fledged element of our work. In our first two academic terms alone, we reached almost 10,000 school pupils, as well as training many teachers to deliver content for themselves.

Meanwhile, our organising team continue to work with some of our most hard to reach communities, as well as supporting a national network of volunteers.

In a country that is increasingly divided into those who are comfortable with multiculturalism and those who feel threatened by it, we are developing training tools that can be used in all kinds of contexts to allow people to engage with other who hold different views from them, and to use those conversations to bring people together.

Latest

Tackling Germany’s problem narratives 80 years after Kristallnacht

Germany has been riven by tensions over its treatment of migrants and refugees. Learning what messaging works, who we need to speak and how to have ‘difficult conversations’ around these issues is key for progressive activists.
A convergence of hate: Jewish, female and public

“Our analysis shows that the two most mentioned MPs on the neo-Nazi website Stormfront since its inception more than a decade ago are Margaret Hodge and Luciana Berger – this is not a coincidence,” said Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, data specialist. Seth was speaking at the Sara conference, which brought together politicians and NGOs to address the abuse Jewish women face when in a public role.
Why Black History Month Matters

Black History Month is a celebration which showcases the many accomplishments black people have made in Britain. For many of us, it provides the impetus to overcome the many barriers we face, in addition to providing positive depictions of black people that detract away from harmful stereotypes we’re subject to.
Why Black History Month Matters

Our Team
About Us

Hate destroys lives. HOPE not hate is a charity that works in the UK to build communities and celebrate shared identities. We campaign for a world free from mistrust and racism.
England's Flag belongs to all Britons

The result of the semi-final was disappointing, but football has already "come home". England's team can hold its head high because we are all proud of Southgate's diverse young team.
HOPE Academy - APPLY NOW

As part of our new community action network, we are selecting 40 campaigners from 40 areas of the UK for an exciting new campaign school in June. The course is completely free.
What We Do

HOPE not hate uses research, education and public engagement to challenge mistrust and racism, and helps to build communities that are inclusive, celebrate shared identities and are resilient to hate.
Community Network

HOPE not hate has organised for over a decade to challenge hate. Now we need your help.
HOPE in the classroom

Our Education Unit is creating a catalyst towards positive behavioural change in schools across England and Wales to act as a springboard towards a more inclusive society.
Volunteer
The problematic art of humanising Muslims

Ramadan is over and with it ends iftars – the meal eaten to break the fast at sunset. The month has become a great tool for those working on interfaith as the number of community iftars grows and activities such as solidarity fasting have become more common. But efforts to humanise a community that is often painted with a broad terrorist brush contains its own pitfalls.
Confronting Islamophobia in the classroom

“I hate Muslims, I’m afraid of them, when you walked into the room I was afraid.”