Hate Crime Awareness at Chorlton

Our third consecutive year delivering a hate crime awareness project is something we genuinely look forward to, and this year was no exception. Thanks to funding from Manchester City Council, we were able to work with the EAL department at Chorlton High School, focusing particularly on international new arrivals and students who have joined the UK education system at different points in their journey.

The project combined informative workshops with a powerful youth-led outcome. In the sessions, students explored the six recognised categories of hate crime in Greater Manchester, worked through realistic scenarios to help them identify hate incidents, learned how to report concerns, and importantly, understood their rights and protections as young people living in the UK. These workshops created a safe space for discussion and learning, and the impact was clear. Teachers shared how valuable it was in addressing misconceptions, with many students surprised to learn that hate crime is taken seriously in the UK and that there are clear routes to report it and seek support. For some, this knowledge was completely new, making the sessions even more important.

Alongside this, students took the lead in designing and delivering their own after-school community event – and what an event it was. Each young person chose an aspect of their culture, language, religion or country to share, creating a vibrant and welcoming space full of food, displays, stories and conversation. With support from staff, they planned everything from cultural stalls to interactive activities, bringing their ideas to life in a way that felt authentic and meaningful.

The atmosphere on the day is hard to put into words. It was a genuine celebration of diversity, with students showing curiosity, respect and empathy towards one another. You could see young people stepping outside of their usual circles, trying new foods, learning about different traditions, and getting involved in games and activities from around the world. It felt open, inclusive and full of pride – not just in individual cultures, but in the shared experience of learning from one another.

This has easily been one of our favourite projects of the school year so far. There’s something really special about seeing young people grow in confidence, share their identities so proudly, and learn from each other in such a genuine way. A huge thank you to the staff at Chorlton High School for being so supportive throughout and for creating the space and opportunity for this project to happen – it really wouldn’t have been possible without them. Projects like this are a reminder of the power of giving young people both knowledge and a platform, and when they understand their rights and feel confident to express who they are, the results can be something really special – and this project was exactly that.