CVSCE: statement regarding the recent violence

By Kathryn Sullivan - CVS CEO

All of us at CVSCE have been deeply saddened and distressed to witness the racism and violence connected to the hatred on our streets over the last week. We stand in solidarity with those individuals and communities who have been targeted, threatened, or otherwise made to feel insecure. There is no place for such behaviour in a modern, democratic society. We will work with communities where we can be helpful to spread powerful, positive information as an attempt to move on from such horrifying scenes. If you have services you would like us to share with our networks, please direct them to us.

Many of our members will be directly supporting those most affected, and if we can provide support for them at this time, we are more than happy to do so. Additionally they may also find themselves under threat simply for the work that they carry out on a daily basis, improving our local communities.

We need community leaders to come together to ensure these threats are not only immediately resolved, but never find a foothold in our spaces again.

There can often be a feeling of helplessness at times of national tragedy. If you would like to explore options for support, please see below some ideas that may be useful.

• Stop Hate UK
• Mind - Racism and Mental Health support
• Staying safe amidst far right violence 

In addition to finding support for yourself, many of us are searching for ways that we can contribute to the ending of the range of negative emotions, so many of this feeling. Here are some ideas that might help you to find your own way through these difficult times:

Check-in with colleagues, friends and those in your network you believe may be more at risk being targeted by racism. They shouldn't feel overburdened by your communications, but just letting people know that you are aware of their potential distress and want to support can be of major use.

Consider your communications over the coming weeks. Many people are already concerned that business as usual seems to be happening for so many in the VCFSE Sector, and that their fears are being dismissed as irrelevant to normality. How can you ensure that you recognise people's distress and offer practical support whilst still delivering what you do for your beneficiaries?

Keep an eye on reputable news outlets for information regarding potential targets. Keeping yourself and others safe has to be our top priority, and being well informed is part of that. 

Contribute to antiracist efforts that have already been going on for many years:

• Rise UK
• Sari Charity

Donate to antiracist efforts by national or local organisations:

• Race Equality Foundation
• Sari Charity
• CHAWREC

We hope that the violence is brought to an end, and that we can do more to prevent it rearing its ugly head in the future.