Standing Together: The Clean-up and the Fightback

The Warm Welcome Campaign started two years ago as a crisis response to rapidly rising energy bills. In the last few days, community spaces across the country have faced a very different crisis, that of violent unrest targeted particularly at migrant, Muslim and ethnic minority communities.

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The scenes we have all witnessed and the stories we have all heard have been deeply shocking – of groups cheering as fires are lit in accommodation housing people seeking sanctuary, of our friends and neighbours feeling afraid to walk the streets, of community spaces like Spellow Lane Library Community Hub in Liverpool being torched by far-right rioters.

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At Warm Welcome we have been thinking constantly of all those affected, and particularly of our network of 4000 community spaces on the frontline of facing down this hatred, intimidation and violence, and standing in solidarity with their local community It’s been a time of people coming together and focusing on what we have in common: kindness, welcome and human warmth. And of course, our hearts have also gone out to the families of the three girls murdered in Southport and all those reeling from that terrible event.

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As things have unfolded, we have been working with our many partners to share insights and resources. We would particularly commend the work of Hope not Hate and others in developing the ‘staying safe amidst far right violence’ resource which can be accessed here.

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While we grieve the current situation, we are also uplifted as so often in moments like this by the remarkable resilience of local communities. Seeing the incredible success of the fundraiser which has raised nearly £200k and counting for the rebuilding of the Spellow Lane Library Community Hub reminds us that the forces of unity and community are so much more powerful than the forces of hate and destruction.

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And as we are uplifted by communities, we also feel our own resolve being strengthened to press ahead with our mission to create a Warm Welcome for everyone in this country. More than most we know the power of what is possible when we all work together. So, we are determined to play our part in the fightback against fear and division, by resourcing, connecting and championing community spaces as places of hope and belonging. And we are particularly determined to work with partners to ensure that this Warm Welcome is accessible to those who have newly arrived in our communities, wherever they may come from.

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The current moment poses a question to all of us – are we a place and a people with the capacity to welcome? The events of this last week show us that we cannot take the answer to this question for granted but must redouble our efforts to work together across our organisations and our communities to make sure that the answer is and remains a resounding ‘Yes’.

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Read the Charity Commission's response to riots and public disorder here.