Reach Learning Disability and Newark College taking part in stop hate crime awareness week

Community organisations and businesses are supporting activities for hate crime awareness week.

This year, the national focus for the week is LGBT+ with the aim of bringing LGBT+ people together to tackle all forms of hate crime, including biphobia, transphobia and homophobia.

On Friday (October 14) Newark Stop Hate Crime will host an event at the LetsXcape games café in Newark Market Place.

Anyone who identifies with the LGBT+ community or is an ally is welcome to attend.

The café opens at 6.30pm and the main event starts from 7pm, with an organised discussion between 7.30pm until 8.30pm.

Students at Reach Learning Disability Day activities have created posters about hate crime awareness, which will displayed throughout the week at Newark Parish Church.

Nicky Rafferty’s storytelling workshops with Reach are supported by the National Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the Reawakening of St Mary Magdalene project.

On Saturday (October 15) from 9am to 2.30pm, there will be a market stalls at Newark Market, where balloons and leaflets will be handed out.

Volunteers will also discuss with people about their experiences as bystanders and teach them how to intervene in any form of abuse.

In the heart of Newark, the windows in the Buttermarket are displaying posters created by Newark College, with information on how to report hate crimes and incidents.

This year marks 50 years of Gay Pride and Newark is on a mission of spreading love and acceptance among the community through networking, safety, health and wellbeing.