Minister launches campaigns to strengthen our communities

6 Jun 2014 01:00 PM

No victim of hate crime should suffer in silence, is the strong message Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister Jeff Cuthbert delivered in Swansea when he launched the Welsh Government’s Community Cohesion National Delivery Plan 

The aim of the Plan is to ensure people across Wales live alongside each other with mutual understanding and respect and everyone has a strong sense of belonging.

The Minister said:

“I want to be clear that individuals or groups in Wales who spread messages of division and hatred are not welcomed. Hostility and prejudice in any form should not be tolerated and considered commonplace. Victims of hate crime should not suffer in silence.

“Our Community Cohesion National Delivery Plan focuses on seven areas which include tackling hate crime, modern slavery, increasing engagement with Gypsy and Traveller communities, immigration and involvement with Communities First clusters. These are all areas which play a significant role in creating safer, inclusive and resilient communities.

“In order to support the Delivery Plan, we are funding eight regional community cohesion co-ordinators across Wales until 2016. These posts have been funded since 2012 and help to support local authorities and partners.

“Co-ordinators play an essential role, working locally and regionally with a range of partners including local authorities, charities and voluntary groups.”

Whilst in Swansea the Minister will also launch the Swansea Bay Regional Equality Council (SBREC) Voices Have Spoken project which aims to tackle incidents of hate crime in the Swansea Bay and Neath Port Talbot areas.

Voices Have Spoken has received an award of £499,530 from the Big Lottery Fund’s (BIG) People and Places programme to continue its fight to build the resilience of the community to tackle hate crime. The three year project will aim to engage with 5,000 people and 100 organisations to address race, religion and disability hate crimes