Greater Manchester Hate Crime Awareness Week takes place from the 3rd to the 7th of February and is recognised each year by the ten boroughs that make up the Greater Manchester County, promoting a message of a county that is ‘Too Great for Hate’. Manchester is one of the most diverse cities in the UK with almost 200 languages spoken in the city; it is truly multi-ethnic, multi-faith, multicultural and multilingual. In Greater Manchester, hate crime affects individuals based on race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, transgender identity, and alternative subcultures with over 9,600 incidents recorded between September 2023 and August 2024. Many hate crimes still go unreported. It is time to take a stand against hate crime in Greater Manchester. Together, Manchester is showing that hate has no place here, and through unity, we can create a future where everyone is free to live without fear.

Our Greater Manchester Hate Crime Awareness Week resource contains an information sheet covering what hate crime is and how to report it. There are also three short lesson plans exploring banter, bullying, stereotypes and hurtful language – all things that can cause hurt and harm and lead to hate if left unchecked. We also talk about how Sophie’s murder was a hate crime.

Please feel free to download and if you do use our resource, please let us know by using the hashtag #WeAreSophie