Sadiq Khan has announced a new £875,000 investment to help communities across London challenge antisemitism, Islamophobia, extremism and online misinformation, as concerns over
rising hate incidents continue to grow.
The latest funding round of the Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund will support 17 grassroots organisations delivering educational programmes, workshops and training across all 32 London boroughs.
The initiative is designed to give young people and communities practical tools to recognise extremist propaganda, question misinformation and respond safely to hateful narratives both online and in their communities.
The announcement comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions linked to the conflict in the Middle East. The Community Security Trust has recorded a 24% rise in antisemitic incidents in London since the beginning of 2026, while Tell MAMA has reported a significant increase in anti-Muslim hate incidents. According to the organisation, the number recorded in the capital during the first six months of 2026 has already exceeded the total reported throughout 2023.
The British Muslim Trust has also reported nine attacks on mosques in London over the past year.
Khan said tackling hatred requires more than responding to individual incidents and that prevention, education and community engagement must remain central to London’s approach.
The latest allocation brings the Mayor’s total spending on programmes aimed at tackling hate crime to £17 million since 2016, making it the largest investment of its kind by any London mayor.
The Shared Endeavour Fund, launched in 2020, has so far backed 138 projects and reached more than 220,000 participants. A further 50,000 Londoners are expected to take part in programmes supported during the coming year.
The funding will focus particularly on young people and those at greater risk of exposure to radicalisation. Projects will address subjects including antisemitism, Islamophobia, extremist ideologies, online radicalisation, fake news and harmful misinformation.
The initiative also comes as the UK's national terrorism threat level was raised from substantial to severe, increasing pressure on authorities and community organisations to strengthen efforts to prevent radicalisation.
Alongside prevention programmes, the Mayor has pushed for stronger protection for communities facing increased threats. Following a series of serious antisemitic incidents, including the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green and an arson attack involving Hatzola ambulances, additional government funding was secured for a new Metropolitan Police Community Protection Team.
The 300-officer unit combines neighbourhood policing with specialist protection teams and is intended to provide greater reassurance and security for London’s Jewish communities.
However, City Hall argues that policing alone cannot provide a long-term answer to rising hate. The Shared Endeavour Fund will therefore continue supporting organisations working to prevent radicalisation and challenge extremist narratives before they translate into violence.
Among the organisations receiving support in the seventh funding round are:
Stand UP! Education Against Discrimination, which will deliver classroom sessions on antisemitism and Islamophobia led by Jewish and Muslim facilitators.
Thoughtful, which will train teachers to help students recognise and reject hatred, intolerance and extremist thinking.
Tech Against Terrorism, which will run school workshops focused on online harms, misinformation, fake news and extremist material.
The Mayor’s office said the broader aim is to strengthen resilience within London’s communities and ensure that residents have the confidence and knowledge to challenge prejudice without putting themselves at risk.
With hate incidents continuing to affect communities across the capital, City Hall says investment in education, digital literacy and grassroots prevention will remain a key part of its strategy to counter extremism and protect London’s diverse population.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “There’s absolutely no place for hate crime in our capital and I’m committed to working with partners to help tackle this scourge.
“As the disgusting attacks on London’s Jewish and Muslim communities have shown and rising rates of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate in the capital, there is a small minority who continue to use the ongoing conflict in the Middle East to sow seeds of division. They will never prevail and Londoners will always be united against these malicious acts of hatred.
“Programmes like my Shared Endeavour Fund are strengthening London’s communities against extremism, safeguarding Londoners vulnerable to radicalisation, promoting mutual respect and giving people the tools to recognise and stand up to hate and intolerance, as we build a better and safer London for everyone.”
Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing in London, said: “The scale and complexity of the radicalisation threat facing children and young people is deeply concerning. Record numbers of children are becoming involved in our casework, with online platforms and emerging technologies providing extremists with new opportunities to reach and influence those who are vulnerable to radicalisation.
“Protecting young people from radicalisation is a responsibility that extends far beyond policing. It requires a coordinated effort across schools, local authorities, government, families, community organisations and the charity sector to identify risks early and provide the right support before harm occurs.
“By working together, sharing expertise and investing in innovative approaches to prevention, we can help ensure that children and young people are safer online, more resilient to extremist influences and better protected from those who seek to cause harm. These partnerships remain vital to safeguarding our communities and keeping the public safe from terrorism."
Dan Green, Chief Executive of the Anne Frank Trust. said: "The Anne Frank Trust UK is an anti-prejudice education charity. We see every day the unprecedented challenges facing young people, where misinformation and polarisation create fertile ground for rising antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of prejudice. We are grateful to the Mayor of London's Shared Endeavour Fund for continuing to invest in this vital work. It will give thousands more young Londoners the knowledge, empathy and confidence to challenge prejudice, empowering them to become active upstanders in their schools and communities."
Emma Swinn MBE, Director of Operations and Development at Thoughtful, said: "We are delighted to have been selected for the seventh round of the Mayor's Shared Endeavour Fund – a programme that has meant a great deal to us, and to London schools, for six years now.
“The need for this work has never felt more urgent. Children as young as seven are encountering extremist narratives, misogyny and online radicalisation, and most teachers have had little or no training in how to respond. Challenging Extremism Thoughtfully uses Philosophy for Children to help teachers create the kind of open, structured classroom dialogue where young people can explore and challenge difficult ideas — rather than encounter them only online, without guidance.
“This year we hope to reach up to 60 primary teachers across London. One who took part last year said it will be 'more crucial to children than most subjects in the coming years.' We are grateful to the Mayor of London, MOPAC and Groundwork London for helping us make that possible."
Matteo Bergamini MBE, CEO & Founder of Shout Out UK, said: “At Shout Out UK, we are thrilled and proud to receive this funding from the MOPAC's Shared Endeavour Fund to expand our vital media literacy and anti-radicalisation work across London. By combining prebunking techniques with hands-on critical thinking, our workshops will directly equip young Londoners - and the broader school community - with the cognitive tools needed to spot online manipulation and build lasting resilience against extremist narratives.”
Charolotte Argan, Stand Up! Education Against Discrimination Manager, said: “Record levels of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate, alongside record numbers of Prevent referrals and children being arrested for terrorism offences, present a significant challenge to one of the world’s most diverse cities and home to the UK’s largest Muslim and Jewish communities. Young people are increasingly exposed to extremist ideologies, conspiracy theories and misinformation online. In this rapidly changing environment, the need for the Shared Endeavour Fund’s support for grassroots educational initiatives like ours has never been greater, enabling us to equip young Londoners with the knowledge, confidence and skills to recognise, challenge and reject extremism wherever they encounter it.” Photo by Edwardx, Wikimedia commons.
