The year in review
It was a year in which the Ukrainian war dominated headlines and created a refugee crisis across Europe. We saw the Casey Report shine a spotlight on the insidious issues of institutional racism, homophobia, and misogyny within the Metropolitan Police. Andrew Leak threw incendiary devices at an immigration center in Dover in a hate attack, and we witnessed the horrendous murder of trans teenager Brianna Ghey, which once again laid bare the risks and hate directed at the trans community.
Contents
- Chair’s Report
An introduction from our Chair of the Board of Trustees, Irvin Campbell. - Co-Directors’ Report
An insight into our year from our Co-Directors, Alex and Agnes. - Bath and North East Somerset
A look at the work we’ve been doing in Bath and North East Somerset. - Bristol
A look at the work we’ve been doing in Bristol. - North Somerset
A look at the work we’ve been doing in North Somerset. - Somerset
A look at the work we’ve been doing in Somerset. - South Gloucestershire
A look at the work we’ve been doing in South Gloucestershire. - Training
A round-up of some of the training and consultancy work we’ve carried out this year. - Education
A round-up of some of the work we’ve done with children and young people this year. - Statistical Breakdown
One for the stat fans – a brief breakdown of our year in numbers, graphs and maps. - Financial Information
A breakdown of our income and expenditure. - Donors and Funders
A big thank-you to all our donors and funders that have made our work possible, this year and in the future.
Chair’s report
This year has been a poignant one for me as it is my last year as Chair and my last year on SARI’s Board. I first got involved with SARI in the early 1990s not long after SARI was set up. I had to come to SARI for help. A school friend of my son had been viciously assaulted in a racist attack. The father of my son’s friend called the police for help. The police failed to respond and then my son’s friend’s father went to confront the perpetrator of the attack on his son. Shortly afterwards it was me that was arrested. I was wrongly accused of GBH even though it hadn’t been me that went round to see the attacker. It is worth noting that we were both Black Caribbean families. I had to go through a big criminal case and huge amounts of stress and anxiety before being cleared of all charges when they realised that I had been victim to mistaken identity. This was how I got to know SARI. SARI supported me through the whole ordeal giving me the strength and confidence to cope and recover from a huge trauma.
After that I wanted to give back and get involved with the charity that helped me so much. Fast forward nearly 30 years later and I am now the Chair of SARI having been a Board member for many years. This charity that has been such a big part of my life and we have gone on such a journey together. I have seen SARI grow and go through many challenges as it tries to survive in a world that isn’t easy for a hate crime charity. I have also been empowered as a Board member. Now I am used to doing speeches, representing SARI at high level events and being a role model for the diverse staff team that enables SARI to deliver its critical services.
This year, our long serving trustees have worked hard to develop our governance and to recruit new Board members with the skills and passion needed to take SARI forward for the next leg of its journey. And so, it is with both sadness and excitement that I will be handing the baton on ready for April 2023.
As well as change, it’s been a period of consolidation, as we have established stability following the disruptions and difficulties triggered by Covid. We have continued to benefit from the new technical expertise and the flexibility afforded by hybrid working but it’s also been tough making sure we don’t lose our client-centred face to face approach with the victims that pass through our doors. It is really important to get out and about in the communities that we serve as visibility leads to people reporting hate crime to us sooner. As with every year that I write to you, fresh hurdles have emerged due to external factors such as the Ukrainian war, the ensuing cost of living crisis and more and more public sector constraints as austerity is not over for our sector. There are fewer and fewer funds available for charities like SARI. We have to rely ever more on donations from the public and organisations that kindly help fundraise for us.
In my role as the Chair of the Board, I regularly contemplate the privilege of being involved with an organisation as important as SARI. I am so proud to see how many people SARI helps who remind me of why I turned to SARI all those years ago. I know they will be stronger because of our involvement and be able in turn to make more of a difference in their communities.
This year has demanded our attention in navigating a swiftly evolving landscape, prompting us to reassess our operational strategies. I’ve witnessed the significance of SARI in these turbulent times—an organisation unwaveringly focused on its clients and community, consistently adapting to better serve the individuals we are committed to supporting. This ongoing effort is made possible through the invaluable support of our allies and funders who steadfastly contribute to our mission for positive change.
As a Board, we’ve engaged in numerous constructive discussions, consistently arriving at democratic decisions on advancing SARI, a process that fills me with immense pride. The governance of SARI, mirroring our organisational ethos, remains flexible and responsive to our clients’ evolving needs. I’m truly honoured to work alongside fellow trustees who not only contribute their professional expertise but also bring a wealth of personal experiences of hate crime. Their collective knowledge has proven invaluable in ensuring SARI not only survives but also thrives. I know that the new Board members that we are in the process of recruiting will be excellent ambassadors for SARI. They also bring ‘lived experience’ and determination to make a difference in the human rights arena. There will also be a few of the longer standing trustees to carry the legacy forward. As for those of us retiring, we will all take a bit of SARI with us wherever we go. I will be remaining a member and will continue to monitor SARI’s journey going forward. One thing’s for certain, SARI’s job is nowhere near over. We are needed as much now as we have ever been.
With best wishes,
Irvin Campbell
Chair of The Board of Trustees
co-directors’ report
Whenever we write our Directors’ Report, it provides us with an opportunity to look back on the year that has passed; giving us pause to reflect on both the challenges, the successes, the moments that gave us reason to hope and the incidents that showed how far we still have to come. The 2022/2023 year is no different.
Hate crime continued to make international, national and local news. On 14 May 2022, 18-year-old Payton S. Gendron, who describes himself as an ethno-nationalist and supporter of white supremacy, carried out a mass shooting in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, a predominantly Black neighbourhood, murdering ten people and injuring three others. On November 19, 2022, Lee Aldrich went into Club Q, a gay bar, in Colorado and committed a mass anti-LGBTQ+ shooting, killing five people and injuring 25 others. Locally, we saw high profile hate crimes, including a racist attack where an adult woman hit a 12-year-old Black boy with a canoe paddle on 26 March at Conham River Park. Later in the year the dumping of a pig’s head near a mosque in Barton Hill, Bristol, on 6 November was classified as an Islamophobic hate crime.
SARI was involved in both these incidents, supporting young Antwon Forrest and his family to the conclusion of the case against his perpetrator – she was later found guilty of assault and received a suspended prison sentence. Initially this case wasn’t treated seriously enough by the police, and they closed the investigation. After a public outcry, it was reviewed and reopened. We also attended community meetings and supported local community members traumatised by the pig’s head incident, which came shortly after an arson attack on the same estate.
As Directors of a charity which advocates for equality and diversity, we were deeply disturbed by the rise in transphobic vitriol that we saw during this time. Inflammatory debates around the right to exist for trans people in certain spaces has led to people feeling more unwelcome and unsafe in our communities. We were heartbroken to hear of the murder of Brianna Ghey, a young trans girl who, after years of bullying, was killed. Nobody should feel unsafe because of who they are, and we’ll continue to stand with our trans community in solidarity and compassion. Recently we have published a collaboratively produced guide, Supporting Trans and Non Binary People Best Practice Guidance for Health and Wellbeing Practitioners, to improve critical services for these communities – this wouldn’t have been possible without the expertise and advice of trans and non-binary citizens and professionals.
We were also concerned by the increasingly negative rhetoric around people seeking sanctuary. On 30 November 2022, Andrew Leak threw incendiary devices at an immigration centre in Dover in a hate attack which was later described as being motivated by terrorist ideology. There’s also been a rise in people harassing residents of accommodation centres and hotels, along with violent protests at some of the sites. Nearly 100,000 people claimed asylum in the UK in 2022-2023 – each person having fled violence and persecution for a safe life here, and we find it appalling that instead they are being forced to live in fear.
Unfortunately, the situation has been aggravated by inflammatory statements in some factions of politics and the media, where people seeking sanctuary are being held up as scapegoats. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the debates around the small boats crossing the channel, which too often forget that they’re speaking about human beings. These debates filter down in public life, and we’ve been supporting refugees and asylum seekers who have been victims of hate in our region.
The Casey Report shone a spotlight on the insidious issue of institutional racism, homophobia, and misogyny within the Metropolitan Police. Whilst we know that there are continuous issues within police forces, and indeed within many other institutions (a report into the London Fire Brigade also found issues of racism, misogyny, and bullying), it’s always disheartening to see it written down. At SARI, we continue to work with our region’s institutions and organisations, acting as a critical friend and ensuring they’re held to account in fighting hate and discrimination both in their own factions and in the community. Whilst it’s an ongoing investigation, it wouldn’t be right to write about this issue without mentioning Chris Kaba, an unarmed Black man who was shot dead by a Metropolitan Police firearms officer in September of last year.
The death of Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old Black boy, highlighted the stark inequalities in housing. Despite reporting the intolerable mould in the flat many times, Awaab’s father was ignored and Awaab ending up dying from a respiratory condition. In February 2023, we spoke at a Bristol Housing Conference, ‘Firming Foundations, Raising Roofs’, led by Ashley Community Housing and which we helped to organise, where the importance of tackling racial inequalities in housing was discussed – clips of the presentations are available to view on YouTube.
It was a politically turbulent period, with three Prime Ministers in the space of three months. In amongst the turmoil, we saw one of the most diverse leadership campaigns and, on 25th October 2022, Rishi Sunak became the first Asian Prime Minister and the first Prime Minister from a Global Majority background in the UK. Wherever you stand on politics, this event shouldn’t be overlooked.
In October 2022, the hate crime statistics for the previous year were released, showing hate crime to have risen in all areas. Reports of racist hate crime reached over 100,000 for the first time, a grim milestone which only shows how far we have to go. Whilst some of the increase could be attributed to improvements in reporting, we know all too well at SARI that hate continues to be a significant issue for all our minoritised communities. The case studies we’ve included below only demonstrate this further.
Locally, we lost one of our city’s heroes. Roy Hackett MBE, who was instrumental in the Bristol Bus Boycott, died aged 93, with hundreds of guests attending his funeral. I was very proud to have been asked by the family to speak at his funeral both as the High Sheriff of Bristol and as the Strategic Director of SARI, and it was an honour to be able to pay tribute to such a remarkable man who fought alongside our founding Director, Batook Pandya MBE for better race relations, laws and policies. Bristol would not be where it is today without him.
On a positive note, I had a very busy year as Bristol’s High Sheriff for 2022-2023 doing all I could to shine a light on criminal justice whilst also making sure SARI continued to thrive. My priorities were tackling hate crime; raising awareness of disproportionality in the criminal justice as outlined by the Lammy Review, as well as all the work being done to address this and promoting safety and justice for asylum seekers. The year was a memorable year for all High Sheriffs and one that was unprecedented since 1953 – not only did we have a Platinum Jubilee on 5th June this year, but sadly, we also lost our longest serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II when she died on 8th September. As High Sheriff, one of the most important roles you can ever play is to deliver the Proclamation if the Monarch dies. The dial stopped at me for this unforgettable duty. It was an absolute privilege to have this role for our city.
At SARI, our Finance and HR department put a great deal of work into our charity’s Governance. This was incredibly important work which will shape us in the years to come. We can’t thank our outgoing trustees enough for their work in steering our charity for so many years; we truly would not be the charity we are without their dedication and the time they’ve put in.
Alex Raikes MBE
Director, Strategic
Agnes Yeomans
Director, Finance & HR
Did you know?
Our Strategic Director, Alex Raikes MBE DL, was appointed High Sheriff of Bristol for 2022-2023. As part of this, she organised the thought-provoking Lifetime for Justice, where people gathered from across the legal and criminal justice system to explore what needed to be done to increase diversity within it.
For the event, Bristol Ideas, and illustrator Willem Hampson worked with SARI to create an educational pamphlet that celebrates Bristol’s radical past and long history of demonstration, protest, and fighting for justice. Read more about the pamphlet and other resources.
bath and north east somerset
at a glance
We had 46 referrals from the Bath and North East Somerset region. Of those:
- 5 were disablist
- 2 were discrimination
- 3 were faith-based
- 6 were homophobic
- 1 was mate crime
- 29 were race hate
- 1 was transphobic
Please note that the sum of the numbers above may be higher than the total (46) as referrals can include more than one hate crime type.
Referrals in Bath and North East Somerset have stayed almost exactly the same as last year, with SARI only receiving six less referrals compared to the previous reporting year. The region remains one of our lowest reporting areas, despite us working very hard to raise awareness via training, events, and education sessions aimed at boosting referrals and reporting.
Our work in the area
This year we have continued to build on the good work we started in the previous reporting year. The BANES Race Equality in Education Task Force, which we helped set up in May 2022, has continued to grow. Through this piece of work, we have delivered a number of training sessions to school staff to ensure hate crime is being tackled within schools.
We have also had a very successful year in terms of the work we do as part of the BANES education contract, where members of staff delivered a whole host of different assemblies, workshops and 1-2-1s with young people. These sessions included talking about Black History Month, Pride and much more.
Between our Outreach Worker and the team leader covering the BANES area, SARI also liaised with lots of organisations and partnerships including BANES Hate Crime Community Cohesion Partnership, Independent Equality Advisory Group (IEAG) BANES, BANES Case Review Panel (CRP) and the Schools Exclusions Working Group, attending meetings regularly and making useful contacts with organisations and communities.
The hope of attending these meetings was to help us reach more people who have been victims of hate crime, and work in partnership to give them the best possible support we can. We also aimed to do all possible to educate and raise awareness to reduce the severity and impact and ultimately prevent hate crime happening in the future.
CASE STUDY (case #128-22/23)
Transphobic hate
Our client in this case, a transgender man, was physically assaulted outside of a nightclub in Bath. As a result of the attack, he was left with significant injuries to his face and head, to the extent that he had to spend a long time in hospital and has suffered from memory loss.
When we first met the client, it became clear how much the attack had impacted him, as he was still visibly shaken, and struggled to recall parts of what had happened. This was made worse by the fact that he had been knocked unconscious during the assault.
Once we opened the case, our first move was to make sure that the police were treating the matter as a hate-motivated assault, as this could mean a harsher sentence for the offender. We ensured that the police were reviewing all available CCTV to identify the perpetrator. We also helped the police communications team put out a call-out to the general public for any information to help with their investigation.
Eventually the case was dropped as there wasn’t enough evidence. We requested a right to review the case on our client’s behalf, but unfortunately the outcome was the same. Our client said he was happy to not take things further as he wanted to move on and focus his energy on going to therapy.
We signposted him to several different therapy services, which he is now using. We also gave him some self-help resources, which he’s said have proven helpful and made him feel more stable.
As he had to take significant time out of work due to his injuries, we worked with him to complete a CICA (Criminal Injury Compensation Application) so he could recover some of his lost income. Unfortunately, these can take a long time, and we’re still waiting for a decision.
Did you know?
We continue to respond to an increasing number of people being victimised due to their gender identity. The gender identity ‘culture war’ and the huge amount of negative media that has gone with this, has led to a backlash for and scapegoating of trans and non-binary people and it has meant some perpetrators feel they have a license to be transphobic. Unfortunately, as a result, we’ve seen attacks on trans people on social media as well as physical and verbal attacks in everyday life on the rise.
We’re doing all we can to promote a safer, more supportive and more inclusive environment for trans and non-binary people. We’re working to promote best practice services in as many agencies as we can and to promote reporting by trans and non-binary people when they face hate or discrimination. As part of this, earlier this year we published our Guidance for Best Practice Working with Trans and Non-Binary People produced with and for trans and non-binary people and medical, health and social care practitioners who want to improve their services to these communities.
The guidance has been welcomed by many local agencies and is gradually being disseminated across the South West region. It’s even been recognised nationally, being nominated for a National Diversity Award.
BRISTOL
at a glance
Bristol is our highest reporting area with 493 referrals. Of these:
- 67 were disablist
- 6 were discrimination
- 15 were faith-based
- 13 were gender-based
- 26 were homophobic
- 13 were mate crime
- 1 was misogyny-based
- 1 was pregnancy/maternity-based
- 362 were race hate
- 6 were transphobic
Please note that the sum of the numbers above may be higher than the total (493) as referrals can include more than one hate crime type.
Our work in the area
Bristol is the largest city in the area we work in, with a population of over 450,000. It’s a densely populated city, a City of Sanctuary, and is often celebrated for its multiculturalism and diversity, with a higher percentage of minority communities. Despite its image as a tolerant, multicultural city, it is not without its issues, as demonstrated with the pig’s head that was left in Barton Hill in 2022.
In Bristol, we lead Bristol Hate Crime & Discrimination Services (BHCDS), along with Brandon Trust, Bristol Mind, the Law Centre, Resolve West and Off The Record. This partnership works together to offer a complete service for victims of hate crime and discrimination in Bristol. We are extremely grateful to Bristol City Council for awarding BHCDS 4 years funding from October 2021 to September 2025. We are so reassured that the city sees hate crime services as critical for our residents and communities. We could not do all that we do without this grant and all the other support we get from Bristol City Council.
We’re a part of Bristol’s Strategic Partnership Against Hate Crime (SPAHC), working together with others to tackle hate in the city. Our Strategic Director, Alex Raikes, is the Deputy Chair for this forum. We also set up and chair the Tackling Hate in High Support Services group, the commissioned services for providing accommodation and support for homeless people. We’ve developed terms of reference and a protocol with these services to guide them to fulfil a best practice response to hate crime that happens to their staff or residents. We also coordinate a number of other groups that that help to tackle hate and promote equality, including the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Strategy Group (GR8T+) and the Tackling Islamophobia Working Group. Alongside this, we host the Bristol Case Review Panel, which reviews and problem-solves high risk hate crimes. These are high risk services for hate given the complex needs of many of the service users.
We also attended many different cultural events across Bristol, including:
- Avon and Somerset Police Race Matters Roadshow
- Bristol Muslim Strategic Leaders Conference
- Bristol Pride (left)
- Bristol Refugee Festival
- Bristol Young Heroes Awards
- Holocaust Memorial Day
- Hong Kong Community welcome event
- Iftars during Ramadan and Eid celebrations
- International Women’s Day
- National Hate Crime Awareness Week
- Roy Hackett’s funeral
- St Mark’s Road Jubilee Party (below)
- The Lammy Review Group Tackling Disproportionality Review Group launch event
- The celebration of Maggie Telfer MBE’s life
- Trans Pride South West
- West of England Irish Festival
CASE STUDY (case #096-22/23)
Race and disablist hate
Omar first came to SARI as he’d been racially verbally abused by his neighbours. The incidents began over parking; he’d been advised by his housing organisation to park on a small piece of land owned by the council until they’d built a drive to meet his disability needs. This angered his neighbours, who were frustrated that Omar was able to use this bit of land, and they weren’t. As he was parking up one day, his neighbour and a friend approached him, quickly becoming aggressive and shouting “you cannot park there…go back to your own country”, as well as using other racist insults. Omar was frightened and called the police, who advised him to remain in his car until they arrived. After two hours the police still hadn’t arrived and there was no police presence that day. Following this initial incident, there have been several more, including the neighbour harassing a contractor who’d come to take measurements for the drive.
Omar told us he felt let down when the police hadn’t come when he was being attacked. He also said that he’d stopped reporting incidents to his housing officer because he felt ignored, and very little had changed. Omar’s Project Worker reassured him that she would work closely with both the police and housing in order for his voice to be heard and the incidents to be investigated appropriately.
His Project Worker discussed everything with both the police and housing and, at times where Omar felt reluctant or too distressed to report incidents, reported them for him. The housing officer sent a letter explaining to residents that the land belongs to the council, and also sent an informal warning about harassing Omar. His Project Worker raised the initial police report with a senior Police Officer, who agreed that it had been dealt with poorly and sent a formal apology. After several discussions with housing, where his Project Worker advocated her concerns for Omar’s mental health and his safety, housing agreed to offer him a direct move, which is currently in progress.
Following other incidents, the police tried to hold a meeting with Omar. By this time however, he’d lost trust in them and felt uneasy engaging with other agencies, so his Project Worker worked with him to encourage him to cooperate with the police so that the incidents could be investigated, and provide a statement to them. Whilst the neighbours are still occasionally trying to intimidate Omar, the verbal abuse and harassment has now stopped, and we hope that a suitable property will be found soon.
north somerset
North Somerset was our lowest reporting area, with 42 referrals, of which:
- 7 were disablist
- 2 were discrimination
- 4 were homophobic
- 28 were race hate
- 1 was transphobic
Please note that the sum of the numbers above may be higher than the total (41) as referrals can include more than one hate crime type.
Even though North Somerset is our lowest reporting area, we did have a 2% increase in the number of referrals we received in the area compared to the last reporting year. Overall, we have seen a slight increase in homophobic and transphobic hate crime, and North Somerset is no different.
As you can see from the work below, despite this being the area we receive the lowest number of referrals, we’re working hard to get out into local communities to raise awareness of hate crime and how to report it.
our work in the area
One of the big focuses we had in the North Somerset region this year was reaching out to the communities and organisations who support refugees and asylum seekers. We attended numerous different multi-agency meetings and working groups to try and ensure refugee and asylum seekers’ voices were heard and that they were treated fairly despite the horrible situations they found themselves in.
We are also part of a proactive strategic partnership called Responding to Hate Incidents in North Somerset (RHINS), which brings together organisations to tackle hate. We’re proud to have been involved since it began, and continue playing a role to this day, with our North Somerset Outreach and Development Worker regularly attending meetings.
Whilst this is the area where we do receive the lowest number of referrals, we are acutely aware that this doesn’t mean hate crime doesn’t exist in these areas. As such we have been working with a number of the housing associations in the area in a bid to raise awareness and get victims the support they need.
CASE STUDY (Case #057-22/23)
Disability hate
Valerie and John are married with two daughters. They live in North Somerset, as owner-occupiers. Victoria is classified as disabled due to mobility problems and has a disabled badge.
The family used to go to their local pub to watch Sky Sports. A person named Dan used to work for John but lost his job as work dried up. Dan and the couple would frequent the same pub. One day, after having a few drinks, Dan became abusive towards Valerie and John. He used disablist abuse and made threats to kill them and burn down their house. He would also call them and continue his abusive behaviour over the phone.
Valerie decided to report the incidents to the police, providing them with recordings of Dan’s abusive calls. The police made a referral to SARI, and we opened a case for Valerie. The couple informed the pub landlord about what was happening, leading to Dan being banned from the pub.
Despite the ban, Dan attempted to enter the pub and became aggressive when confronted, which led to further police involvement. The police spoke to Dan, and he callously admitted knowing about Valerie’s disability and even laughed about it. Despite the police trying to prevent further communication between Dan and the couple, he continued to harass and threaten them. Dan also spread rumours about Valerie being a snitch to others.
Dan then had his friend, Alan, who has a criminal history, confront the couple in the pub about involving the police. This made Valerie feel even worse, and she ended up being prescribed anti-depressants by her doctor.
I continued to communicate with the police about the ongoing abuse, threats, and intimidation. The police sought a restraining order against Dan from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Meanwhile, a new pub landlord took over and upheld the ban on Dan.
In December, Dan was charged with malicious communications and threats. Throughout the ordeal, I visited the couple multiple times to provide emotional support and advice. However, the case faced delays due to a backlog in the CPS and court system. Valerie wrote a victim impact statement in February.
In February, Dan attended a hearing for plea and directions and pleaded not guilty. The case went to trial, and Dan was found guilty in April and sentenced to an 18-month community order, 280 hours of community service, ordered to pay £180 in court costs and given a 1-year restraining order.
Finally, Valerie is happy as everything has stopped with Dan’s conviction and sentencing.
somerset
At a glance
Somerset was our second highest reporting authority area, after Bristol, with 124 referrals. Of these:
- 1 was age-based
- 25 were disablist
- 1 was discrimination
- 10 were homophobic
- 83 were race hate
- 3 were transphobic
Please note that the sum of the numbers above may be higher than the total (124) as referrals can include more than one hate crime type.
our work in the area
Somerset is the biggest area we cover, and we’ve been doing a lot of work there to raise awareness of our service. We had an increased number of referrals, receiving 122 for 2022/23 compared to 104 the previous reporting year.
In Somerset we have a really strong working relationship with the police which helps us deliver effectively throughout the region. As it is the biggest area geographically that we cover, this relationship is vital to accessing people who live in the more rural parts of the county. As part of this working relationship, we have been able to deliver awareness sessions to officers, attend team meetings and even go out with officers on their beats. This has helped people living in these areas put a face to the name of SARI.
We are also part of a number of case review panels and the Somerset Hate Crime Community Cohesion group, which looks to monitor tensions and work in a preventative way. There are still some communities which we are yet to reach in Somerset, but with the great work of our Outreach Worker we are building really strong ties in the area and the name of SARI is starting to get recognised throughout the county.
CASE STUDY (Case #035-2022/2023)
Racist hate
YV is a Cuban man who has a disabled wife and a daughter. He was verbally attacked and threatened at his place of work where he was a security guard. He was called ‘n*****’ and told ‘you won’t hear the end of this’, ‘you don’t know who I am’. Our client was so frightened after this incident that he quit his job which led to a loss of earnings and mental health issues. He was constantly paranoid, looking over his shoulder thinking that this man was coming back for him.
As our client had never experienced anything like this before it really shook him up and he didn’t really know how to deal with the situation. He did not want to return to work as he believed that the perpetrators would return and continue to verbally abuse him, or even physically attack him. He was also fearful that if he reported anything to the police this would lead to further repercussions. We helped YV in liaising with the police and supporting any criminal prosecutions. We were able to provide our client with a safe space to make a statement and the police were able to compile a case to put to the Crown Prosecution Service. Due to the emotional distress our client had endured, we also signposted him to various mental health services, talking therapies and advised him to seek support from his GP in accessing counselling. While liaising with the police, because of the loss of income our client had due to the impact of the incident, we supported our client through claiming compensation, which is still in the process of being allocated. However, due to a clerical error from Avon & Somerset Police our client’s case was never taken to court, so we also supported raising a formal complaint against the police and how the case had been handled. This led to a formal apology being issued to our client and the police given supporting evidence for the compensation claim. Our client has now moved away from the area as they were feeling incredibly anxious that the people who had targeted him were still in the area and they would find out where he lived. He is now much happier, and he and his family are able to move on with their lives.
CASE STUDY (Case #230-22/23)
Homophobic hate
Jason is a gay man who lives in a housing association property in Somerset. He’s been having continuous issues with his neighbour, which started when Jason overheard him making homophobic and racist comments. Whilst to begin with these comments weren’t directed towards Jason, they still hurt him. In September, Jason was directly threatened by the neighbour with physical violence. Ableist and homophobic language was used during the attack, with Jason being called a nonce and a nutcase. This incident was also witnessed by someone else.
This was a difficult case as, because a lot of it was overheard by Jason and not directly said to him, it didn’t constitute a public order offence. However, we worked with Jason, encouraging him to report things online as he’d lost confidence. We also liaised with him and the police, encouraging the case to be dealt with as harassment. Community resolution was agreed, with the outcome that the perpetrator is not to have contact with Jason in any way. Jason has now successfully moved properties and is living away from the fear of homophobic victimisation. We will continue to monitor the case for a little while to ensure a smooth transition for him.
South gloucestershire
at a glance
South Gloucestershire was our third highest reporting area, after Bristol and Somerset, with 78 referrals. Of these:
- 57 were were race hate
- 10 were disablist
- 1 was discrimination
- 3 were faith-based
- 1 was gender-based
- 3 were homophobic
- 3 were transphobic
Please note that the sum of the numbers above may be higher than the total (78) as referrals can include more than one hate crime type.
our work in the area
In the most recent census results, South Gloucestershire was revealed to have the highest population increase in the area. It is a thriving industrial centre, home to Airbus, the Ministry of Defence and Rolls Royce. It is also home to the highest number of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pitches in the West of England.
We actively participate in various equality groups and collaborations in South Gloucestershire. These include the Community Cohesion Steering Group led by Southern Brooks, the South Gloucestershire Disability Equality Network, and our initiation of the South Gloucestershire LGBTQ Equality Network and the South Gloucestershire Racial Equality Network. We have played a pivotal role in driving best practices in schools to address race equality and hate incidents.
Collaborating with the South Gloucestershire Head of Education, Learning, and Skills, we established the Race Equality in Education Task Force, overseen by a dedicated Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group. A specific subgroup focused on addressing racist incidents and hate crimes in South Gloucestershire schools was also coordinated by us, leading to positive outcomes such as the implementation of a new reporting system and awareness events.
South Gloucestershire Youth Offending Team (YOT) has increased funding to support our efforts in aiding staff, young offenders, and those on the fringes of offending. Actively engaging with the team, we work proactively to enhance cultural understanding through regular meetings to discuss cases.
CASE STUDY (Case #048-22/23)
Race hate
Leah lives with her partner and very young daughter in South Gloucestershire. She came to SARI as she was experiencing ongoing hate crime and intimidation from local people.
Leah reported five separate hate crime incidents to us, including when a group of neighbours verbally attacked her and her partner, saying “we know you’re Travellers—we don’t want people like you here.”
Leah had desperately been trying to move out, but her options were limited. The neighbours started to make malicious complaints to the police and housing. This was seriously impacting her health and wellbeing, to the point that her and her partner weren’t leaving home and had increased their anti-depressants.
We met with Leah’s housing provider, and told them our concerns. The housing provider confirmed that they were aware of the issues and agreed to work with us to support Leah and her family.
Leah fell pregnant and then sadly lost her pregnancy due to high levels of stress. The rate of miscarriage is very high in the Travelling community. As her mental wellbeing was deteriorating, we told her about organisations who work with young mums, as well as other vital wellbeing support services, which she could access for free.
We wrote a support letter to increase Leah’s chances for rehousing, and told both the police and Leah’s housing provider, who also submitted a letter of support. This meant Leah could bid on new properties, and finally moved out to a new area which the whole family really loves and finds very friendly.
Life can be incredibly hard for people in my community but sari were extremely supportive, and they make you feel safe and comfortable to speak openly. I will be forever appreciative.
Anna pointed me in all the right directions, and always had a positive outlook which made me feel much better in difficult moments. I would like to thank her.
Leah
TRAINING
Whilst a large portion of our work is dedicated to supporting victims of hate crime, we’re also passionate advocates for raising awareness of it, and the impact it can have. We recognise that when people know where to seek support, it helps prevent future hate crime. We cover a range of subjects in our training sessions and packages, including unconscious bias and equality and diversity, and can tailor them to meet the needs of the organisation.
It by far exceeded my expectations. I found it engaging, thought-provoking and very motivational.
Race Equality, Bias and Responding to Hate Crime Training Attendee
In the last year, our training service has continued to flourish, and we’ve seen more demand from agencies who have previously come to us, as well as lots of new interest. In total we delivered 172 training sessions this year. Many were online, but we’ve also seen an increase in the number of face-to-face requests as providers recognise that this has the greatest impact. New training contacts this year included WeSport, Talking Money, and Clifton College.
We delivered training to lots of organisations throughout the year, including:
- Anti-Hate Allies Network
- Avon Fire & Rescue
- Barley Close Community Primary
- Bath City Farm
- Bath Rugby Foundation
- Bath firesation
- Birdwell Primary School
- Bishop Sutton Primary
- Brigestowe
- Bristol Youth Justice Service
- Cabot Learning Federation
- Cardiff Grangetown
- Citizens Advice
- Cleavdon School
- Clifton College
- Combe Down Primary School
- Curo
- Deaf+
- Diversity Voices
- EVM – Weston General Hospital
- Farmborough Primary School
- Fishponds Baptist Church
- Freshford Church School
- Gardener Lane Primary Schoo
- Gloucestershire City Council
- Go Ape
- Holiday Inn
- Holymead Primary School
- Homes in Sedgemoor
- Hope: Asylum Seeker and Refugee Trauma service
- Huish Sixth School
- Labirynth Club Bath
- Lighthouse
- Lockleaze Youth Centre
- Mendip District Council
- NHS Bristol
- NHS Somerset
- Norton Hill Secondary
- PROPS
- Polish Saturday School
- Portishead Fire Station
- Radstock on-Call
- Refugee Women of Bristol
- Riverside
- Round Hill Primary School
- Sidcot School
- Somerset Council
- Somerset Football Association
- Southmead Development Trust
- St Benedict’s C of E Voluntary Aided school
- Taunton Council
- Talking Money
- The Junction Project
- University of Gloucester
- University of the west of England
- Walliscote Primary School
- WeSport
- Weston College
- Whindwhistle primary school
- Yate Fire Station
- Yeomoor primary school
- Yeovil College
- Zion Bristol
CULTURAL AWARENESS TOURS
Our incredibly popular cultural awareness tours are now delivered online, giving attendees an insight into the diverse cultures of Bristol from the comfort of their office chair. It’s a fantastic chance for people to learn more about the communities and faith groups that make up our city.
it was a great way to learn more about the rich diversity of this wonderful city.
Cultural Awareness Tour Attendee
If you’re interested in booking a tour then contact us today for more information.
EDUCATION
At SARI, we know that inequality starts at an early age. Unfortunately, of the cases opened this year, 57 concerned children and young people and related to education issues. That’s why we’ve invested in our education work, delivering interventions to students, staff, and governors. We also do a lot of work with young people who have been victims of hate crime within schools. These sessions are absolutely vital for the young people we work with, making sure that they feel safe, heard, and supported.
We’re particularly proud of our education work this year, as we continued to support the needs of schools and pupils in all four local authority areas throughout the region, although we are only funded through contracts with Bath and North East Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council. We are really pleased that South Gloucestershire came on board and funded SARI this year, mirroring the best practice provision by BANES. We’re now in discussion with North Somerset Council about funding to deliver similar interventions in the local authority.
During the year we delivered our first LGBTQ+ focused workshop in schools. We also worked alongside Black Families Educational Support Group and the local authority in BANES to plan and deliver the Race Charter Implementation Workshop session, aiming to make sure that those that had signed up to the Race Equality Charter felt well equipped to share and implement good practice.
Read more about our work in schools, or contact us to talk about booking a session for your school.
statistical breakdown
It’s easy to forget that behind each of these statistics is a person – someone that has been targeted because of who they are, or what they believe in. It may be tough, but try to keep that in mind as you read through this section – it might help bring home the size of the problem we face.
what was happening, and where?
We’ve plotted all the reported incidents we received in the last year on the interactive map below. Zoom in, move around, and click on the labels to find out what has happened where. You can even press the button in the top left to filter by incident type. We’ve removed any incident details to protect client identities.
How many cases did we open?
This graph shows the number of cases we opened in each calendar month throughout the year. Generally speaking, we see a lot of incidents and cases referred to us during spring and summer when people are out and about more, which leads to conflict.
how many victims did we support?
Hate crime has far-reaching effects beyond the original victim. Family members – if not directly affected – will see and feel the traumatic effects of hate crime.
Support varies case by case, need by need. Some clients may not want action taken, but emotional support to help overcome the feelings that being the victim of hate crime or discrimination can cause. Distress, fear, anger, anxiety and depression are all common emotions we’ve supported our clients with in the past year.
why were People targeted?
This pie chart breaks down all of the cases we opened by protected characteristic. Race is still the biggest category, making up around 70% of our total caseload. Religion is often low because it can be difficult to tell whether people are being attacked because of their race or their faith, because these can be so closely connected.
What did they say about us?
For us, the most powerful and rewarding part of the work that we do, is hearing how we’ve helped our clients. Whether that’s giving them information, helping them find their own path, supporting them through their journey, or hearing they no longer live in fear. This is what makes our work worthwhile. You can read more about the difference we made in the last year by reading our 2022-2023 Client Evaluation Report.
Financial information
As a charity, each year we’re required to send an annual return to the Charity Commission, reporting on our spending and income in the year. The accounts, which forms the basis of the return, are reviewed by an independent examiner, and submitted alongside a report by the board of trustees. Below is an abridged version of the full document, which you can view at Companies House.
statement of financial activities for the year ended 31 march 2023
| Unrestricted funds | Restricted funds | Total funds | ||
| 2023 | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Income from: | ||||
| Donations | 127,819 | – | 127,819 | 184,962 |
| Investment income | 4,299 | – | 4,299 | 607 |
| Charitable activities | ||||
| Training and other income | 49,404 | – | 49,404 | 52,390 |
| Grants and contracts | 132,135 | 387,777 | 519,912 | 721,718 |
| Total | 313,657 | 387,777 | 701,434 | 959,677 |
| Expenditure on: | ||||
| Charitable activities | 467,899 | 396,144 | 864,042 | 813,905 |
| Total | 467,899 | 396,144 | 864,042 | 813,905 |
| Net income / (expenditure) | (154,241) | (8,367) | (162,608) | (145,773) |
| Total funds brought forward | 1,425,198 | 36,705 | 1,461,903 | 1,316,130 |
| Total funds carried forward | 1,270,957 | 28,338 | 1,299,295 | 1,461,903 |
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2023 |
||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Tangible assets | 405,154 | 415,838 | ||
| Current assets | ||||
| Debtors and prepayments | 27,250 | 6,833 | ||
| Cash at bank and in hand | 903,687 | 1,074,513 | ||
| 930,937 | 1,081,345 | |||
| Current liabilities | ||||
| Creditors: amounts falling due within 12 months | (36,796) | (35,280) | ||
| Net current assets | 894,141 | 1,046,065 | ||
| Net assets | 1,299,295 | 1,461,903 | ||
| Unrestricted funds | ||||
| General funds | 176,632 | 317,452 | ||
| Designated funds | 1,094,325 | 1,107,746 | ||
| Restricted funds | 28,338 | 36,705 | ||
| Total funds | 1,299,295 | 1,461,903 | ||
For the year ended 31st March 2023.
The company was entitled to the exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006.
The members have not requested the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of the accounts.
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the trustees on ??/??/2023 and signed on their behalf by:
Irvin Campbell
Chair
Christine Fernandes
Treasurer
As an Independent Examiner of the company I have reviewed the summarised accounts above and consider they are consistent with the full accounts on which I gave my opinions.
Independent Examiner Dick Maule FCA
12 Picton Street, Bristol, BS6 5QA
Donors and funders
Donors
In 2022-23, our organisation received a total of 1,272 individual donations from 200 donors through PayPal, totaling £22,188. This money has been important in providing specific help where it’s needed most. Although the total amount is less than the previous year, it follows a trend of fewer individual contributions, likely influenced by declining interest after George Floyd’s tragic death.
Most notably, 95% of these donations came from ongoing subscriptions, showing the positive impact of consistent support. However, it’s important to recognise that these subscriptions sometimes end without the donor realising, after a few years. To address this, we’re introducing new systems to actively involve donors during this time, making sure they are informed and supported to smoothly continue their ongoing subscription.
Our List of Donors for the financial year 2022-2023.
Funders
Our work just wouldn’t be possible without the help of our funders. We’ve got a long history with some, and we’re at the beginning of a new relationship with others, but the assistance of each is vital in allowing us to help victims of inequality and injustice across the region. Thank you all for your continued support.
Support our work
If you’d like to support some of the work you’ve just read about, you can make a donation using the form below. We’re grateful for all help, whether you give a one-off gift, or choose to support us in the longer term with a regular donation. Or, if you’d like to roll up your sleeves and help us raise money, why not gather some inspiration from our fundraising page?
Contact us
Our Mailing Address
PO Box 2454
Bristol
BS2 2WX
Contact us
Our Funding Partners
