Category: News
Anthony Walker Foundation Launches ‘Speak Out! Stop Hate.’ Campaign
The Anthony Walker Foundation is set to launch a new hate crime reporting tool as part of its ‘Speak Out! Stop Hate.’ campaign, in response to the worrying number of instances of hate crime that go unreported nationally.
According to official government statistics, in the year ending March 2020, there were 105,090 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, an increase of eight per cent compared with year ending March 2019 (97,446 offences).
In addition, in 2020, the Anthony Walker Foundation saw a 126% increase in people accessing support compared to the previous year, across Merseyside. This campaign and reporting tool, funded through the Race and Faith Grant scheme run by the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), have been designed to encourage people to report hate crime and provide an easy and accessible way for people to provide reports safely and anonymously. The tool will allow the Anthony Walker Foundation to gain insight into real-time reports, which will inform and support intervention to combat hate crime.
The launch of the campaign and reporting tool on Monday 22nd February, comes a day after Anthony’s birthday, and marks 15 years after he was tragically murdered in a racially motivated attack.
Dominique Walker, vice chair at the Anthony Walker Foundation, said:
“Whether because of confusion around what constitutes a hate crime, a lack of awareness, or simply not knowing where to go, the amount of hate crimes going unreported is incredibly worrying and, without this insight, it is much harder for us to tackle the issue head-on.
“This campaign provides much needed fresh impetus for everyone to feel empowered to step up and oppose hate crime in any way we can. Whether it’s reporting offences, responding effectively to those experiencing hate crime, or putting measures and resources in place to prevent hate crime, we can all collectively contribute to making our communities safer for all.”
Communities Minister Lord Greenhalgh, said:
“This Government is working hard to cut crime, recruiting 20,000 new police officers and providing funding to local communities to help make their streets safer. Our Faith, Race and Hate Crime Grant Scheme is supporting organisations like the Anthony Walker Foundation and stamp out prejudice and discrimination.
“Everyone should feel safe in the public realm, and we are delighted to support this ambitious pilot programme to encourage people in Liverpool to report hate crime in a safe and accessible way. This programme will give real insight to support our work to combat crime and I look forward to seeing the results.”
Speak Out! Stop Hate. has been created in partnership with social enterprise, Agent Academy and will also include the delivery of a host of education and training opportunities, to raise awareness and increase confidence when tackling hate crime across the Liverpool City Region.
Zoe Wallace, director at Agent Academy, said:
“Encouraging and supporting young people to tackle the issues that are most important to them, is at the heart of Agent Academy, which is why we’re so proud that this campaign is powered by young people, who are passionate about leading a movement for change. It’s more important than ever before that we urgently challenge hate and discrimination not just across Liverpool City Region, but nationally. Positive, long-lasting change only ever happens when people are galvanised to make a difference. That’s exactly what this project will do.”
As part of the launch week, the Anthony Walker Foundation is hosting a series of events including a launch event webinar on Monday 22nd February, featuring an expert panel, a ‘Train the Trainer’ taster webinar aimed at professionals on Wednesday 24th February, as well as a question-and-answer session across the Foundation’s social media accounts on Thursday 25th February.
Five Ways To Support The Foundation
Like all charities AWF need support from the public to help achieve our goals and support people most in need. Support can come in many forms and doesn’t have to be financial, although donations of money are a big help. Here’s five ways you can support us in tackling racism and supporting victims of hate crime.
JUSTGIVING
Can make one-off or monthly donations to the Foundation through our JustGiving page which can be found at:
www.justgiving.com/anthonywalkerfoundation
TEXT GIVING
You can also give through our Text-To-Donate service in just a few simple steps.
To make a One-Off donation:
Text AWF2 to 70085 to donate £2
Text AWF5 to 70085 to donate £5
Text AWF10 to 70085 to donate £10
To make a Monthly donation:
Text AWFMONTHLY2 to 70085 to donate £2 per month
Text AWFMONTHLY5 to 70085 to donate £5 per month
Text AWFMONTHLY10 to 70085 to donate £10 per month
Texts cost your standard network rate plus your donation amount. If you set up monthly donations, you cancel or pause donations at any time.
AMAZON SMILE
Online shopping GIANT, Amazon, have launched a new service to help charities benefit from purchases made through their site. AmazonSmile allows consumers to donate a % of money from their purchases to their selected charity when they shop through the AmazonSmile site.
To sign up to AmazonSmile: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1117769-0
SOCIAL MEDIA
It’s not all about the money! A BIG way to support us is to ensure you’re following us on social media, engaging with our posts and helping us to share our message to a wider audience. Hop on to our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to see what we’ve been up to and give us a like, comment and/or share.
Twitter – @AWF_Liverpool
Instagram – @AnthonyWalkerFoundation
Facebook – Anthony Walker Foundation
VOLUNTEERING
Volunteers are invaluable to small charities like us and they really come through and help when we’re most in need. We have a few volunteers that work with us either in our service delivery, fundraising or operations teams. If you want to volunteer for us, the best thing to do is drop us an email with your CV, a bit about yourself and how you think you might be able to help. Email: info@anthonywalkerfoundation.com
Employers and organisations can also find more information by visiting our Corporate Partnerships page
ANTHONY – THE LIFE HE WOULD HAVE LIVED: NEW BBC DRAMA ABOUT THE LIFE OF ANTHONY WALKER
BBC One and LA Productions with the blessing of Gee Walker have produced a gripping drama about the life of Anthony Walker and the life he would have lived.
Inspired by conversations with Gee Walker, Anthony’s mother and founder of the Anthony Walker Foundation, about the boy Anthony was and the man he was to become, Anthony is written by multi-Bafta winner Jimmy McGovern (Broken, The Street, Cracker) and made by LA Productions for BBC One.
Anthony Walker will be played by Toheeb Jimoh (The Power, Ted Lasso) and Rakie Ayola (Shetland, Noughts + Crosses) will portray Gee Walker.
They will appear alongside Julia Brown (World On Fire), Bobby Schofield (Knightfall), Stephanie Hyam (Bodyguard), Shaniqua Okwok (Small Axe), Robinah Kironde (The Widow), Dominique Moore (A Confession), Phina Oruche (Taken Down), Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls), Ade Ajibade (Intergalactic), Wesley Bozonga (Sliced), Leo Wringer (Black Earth Rising), Lorna Gayle (Carmilla), Jay Lycurgo (I May Destroy You), Josh Bolt (Last Tango In Halifax) and James Ledsham (Levelling The Score) who all play key roles in the film.
The drama will air the same week as the 15th anniversary of the murder of Anthony who was killed in a racially motivated attack in Huyton, Merseyside, 2005.
Gee Walker, Anthony Walker’s mother, says:
“I went to Jimmy because I couldn’t think of anyone more suited who could depict, highlight and draw attention to the hard messages of a life not lived – Anthony’s unfilled dreams, his potentials and the many lives he would have impacted on – which now will never be realised.”
Jimmy McGovern adds:
“I’d known Gee Walker for many years and every time I had needed to write about loss or grief I had gone to her and she had always been generous with her time and her profound wisdom. But one day SHE came to ME and asked me to write about her beloved Anthony. I said, “Gee, if you’re asking such a thing, I feel I have a God-given duty to do it.” And so I did it.”
Toheeb Jimoh, who plays Anthony Walker, says:
“Anthony’s story is a painfully tragic one but it’s also full of hope, joy, promise and love. Jimmy’s script captures that perfectly. I hope this film will serve as a tribute to Anthony and I feel truly honoured to have been asked to play him.”
Rakie Ayola, who plays Gee Walker, says:
“I’m so grateful we’ve been able to shine a light on Anthony Walker’s story with the blessing and generosity of his mother Gee Walker.”
Colin McKeown, executive producer for LA Productions says:
“Both Donna [Molloy] and I were privileged to have produced Anthony. It follows a rich vein of factual drama that LA Productions has been delivering for almost a decade now. It means a lot to me personally as I am from the same village as the Walker family and it is typical of Gee to draw positive conclusions from tragic events.”
Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, says:
“When commissioning drama linked to real life, we consider carefully the individual lives at the heart of the drama but also the wider societal story it might tell. Anthony is a case in point. A unique blend of fiction and reality, steered by Jimmy McGovern’s conversations with Anthony’s mother Gee Walker, it is the story of a young man who tragically lost his life but also of a life he might have led. We are honoured to be telling it on BBC One.”
Anthony was filmed in and around Liverpool, and will air on BBC One. This is the sixth collaboration between LA Productions, Jimmy McGovern and BBC One, following award winning success with Care, Broken, Reg, Common, and ten series of BBC Daytime’s Moving On.
Anthony will air on BBC One and iPlayer, 27th July 2020 at 8:30PM
For more information about the Anthony Walker Foundation please see our About Us page.
GEE WALKER SPEAKS ON THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD AND BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS
Founder and patron of the Anthony Walker Foundation, Gee Walker, speaks out about the death of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests which have shook the world.
Gee said:
“Once again social media has exposed what we have been experiencing in the darkness. To the few it’s their first experience of racism being magnified, but for us it’s every day.
After watching the killing of George Floyd we are not shocked but reliving, weeping & recoiling in painful agony for those whom we have lost.
We are mourning the lives ruined and stand shoulder to shoulder with those who are continually living with racism & hate on a daily basis.
AWF pleads for peace & unity. Violence isn’t the way forward and too many of the innocent and the vulnerable will be harmed and killed.
Violence will only further separation and division resulting in the tearing apart of families and communities.
Heartfelt condolences to George Floyd’s family and friends. Stay safe!”
The Anthony Walker Foundation was set up after the racially motivated murder of Anthony in 2005. The Foundation works in communities to tackle racism, support victims of hate crime and help build safer, stronger, more thriving places to live.
