Senior Researcher, Kallista Jayasuriya, explains why DSC created the Charities Against Hate guide.
Looking at the statistics, racism has long existed structurally in the UK, with households headed by Black and Asian people more likely to experience poverty and the police more likely to conduct stop and searches on Black people. However, the summer of 2024 marked the resurfacing of blatant, violent racism, which has persisted into 2025. It feels disturbingly like we have returned to the 70s.
What has changed is the alarming rise of online-organised grassroots movements, manifesting in violent anti-immigration rallies and riots supported by leading far-right figures. The ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally in September was the largest far-right protest with over 100,000 people attending, the cumulation of local violent demonstrations outside hotels housing people seeking asylum.
On top of this, we’re seeing a concerning number of politicians normalising, and, in some cases, endorsing racist behaviours and rhetorics. Robert Jenrick, shadow Secretary of State for Justice, visited Handsworth in my city of Birmingham (for an hour and a half!) and complained of “not seeing another white face”. And the Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, warned of us becoming an “island of strangers” when giving a speech preceding the government’s immigration white paper in May. This creates a deeply uncomfortable environment for racialised people.
When we call this behaviour out, we’re told it isn’t racism but simply the far-right expressing ‘legitimate concerns’. In reality, they are thinly veiled attempts to demonise migrants. I’d recommend watching Niko’s daring journalism, where he goes undercover at the Unite the Kingdom rally, to see the true motivations of the far-right. It feels like the UK is careening towards state-sanctioned ethnonationalism (the belief that national identity is based on a shared ethnicity) as racism has moved beyond far-right fringe groups and into the mainstream political sphere.
This increasingly hostile environment poses a threat to charities and other charitable organisations that work with and for racialised people and those seeking asylum or refuge. There are countless examples that have been publicised in the press, but many more incidents have not been reported or made public knowledge. From September, Bail for Immigration Detainees has been on the receiving end of “harassment and intimidation” on social media after The Telegraph posted an article detailing the charity’s legal guidance for people held in detention centres. Some charities have even resorted to creating safe rooms. Children visiting a Welsh Scouts camp were filmed and harassed by racists, who thought that the space was used to house people who have immigrated.
In response, Equally Ours headed an open letter from the Civil Society Group, coordinated with DSC, and signed by over 150 signatories, urging the government to “provide clear and consistent leadership to advance inclusion, equality and anti-racism”.
In the face of racism, charity leaders may support colleagues by:
- Keeping directors and trustees updated, who should also convene to discuss how to respond and move forward in the aftermath
- Providing alternative spaces where colleagues can work for their own safety, or if possible, allow for some time off
- Continuing to prioritise equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives within the organisation, such as improving representation on trustee boards
This advice, and more, can be found in our free resource Charities against hate: How to respond to racism. We created it because we wanted to play our part to support our sector. The resource provides guidance on how to respond to crisis situations, how to review strategy and how to foster solidarity across the charity sector. We invite you to share the resource as widely as possible and let us know how you are using it. Now is the time to stand together because what is happening now is racism. This behaviour is not legitimate and will never be.
How can I do my part in creating an inclusive and welcoming culture in my charity?
Systemic racism extends itself into all areas of society, including the charity sector. Charity leaders should be doing everything they can to prioritise EEDI (equality, equity, diversity and inclusion) in their organisations. This is not something you can put on hold, join us on Thursday 4 December for the From Here to Diversity conference, where you’ll gain insights on power and privilege, creating safe spaces, measuring and monitoring EEDI and much more. Join us here.