The death of George Floyd in America may seem remote to some of us all the way over here in Yorkshire, but it has once again brought to the world’s attention the divisions and inequalities faced in society. We represent the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in North Yorkshire, and are the voice of rural communities across Yorkshire. As a member of ACRE we share their statement that rural communities are made up of people from all cultures and we believe no one should be a victim of prejudice or discrimination.
It might not be something we associate much with North Yorkshire, but race hate crimes have increased year on year over the last few years and race hate crime now accounts for more than three quarters of all hate crimes in the North Yorkshire police area, and exceeded 200 last year. Some of these cases will be racial abuse, some will be racist attacks. We have a responsibility to stand up against any hate crime, and as an organisation we work to have a positive impact together with partners on the North Yorkshire Equality and Inclusion Partnership. The Partnership brings together people from within the VCSE and public sector, to share learning and their policies and plans to make sure our workplaces and communities are fully inclusive. To find out more about the role of this Partnership or wish to be part of the Partnership contact Caroline O’Neill on caroline.oneill@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.
If the Black Lives Matter campaign and vocalisation of prejudices and discrimination has made your organisation think about what more it could be doing locally, especially in terms of ensuring your services are easily accessible for everyone, then please do contact us for ideas and support.
For those in or close to York, a new anti-racist network is being formed, contact liftingvoicesup@gmail.com to get involved.