The events of the last two weeks have caused great sadness and fear, from the horror of the child murders in Southport to the waves of violence and looting across the country stirred up by racism, misinformation and hatred.
We at the Foundation stand in support of everyone affected and we will be there as a friend and ally. These are worrying times for us all.
So, what does this mean for Cumbria? As I type, we have fortunately escaped any obvious attacks or violence on our streets, although anyone from a black or ethnically diverse background must be living in fear and trepidation.
This is wrong.
Every right-minded person should be speaking out and offering solidarity and friendship to those under attack. Just because we haven’t seen violent disorder on our streets doesn’t mean racism and the hatred that has underpinned this violence doesn’t exist here. I’ve been encouraged by strong messages of condemnation from politicians and people stepping up from across communities to repair damage to mosques and businesses. We also have a network of refugee, multicultural and anti-racist organisations that exist to support people of diverse backgrounds.
We have too many people in our communities whose views have been shaped by a combination of misinformation while living in towns with little or no hope for them or their children. It is too easy to blame others and target refugees and asylum seekers. Jo Cox, the murdered Labour MP said we have more in common than which divides us. We need to build on our common humanity and stop blaming ‘others’ for our troubles.
I’m proud of my colleagues at the Community Foundation for Lancashire and Merseyside who launched the Southport Stronger Together Appeal to support the families and wider community affected by the murderous attack. It is appeals like this and neighbours standing together in support of each other, irrespective of skin colour, faith and no faith that build stronger communities.
We’re also aware that many people here in Cumbria feel as though they want to make a difference but are unsure how. A donation to the Cumbria Fund right now can be restricted to support organisations working with compassion to strengthen and connect our diverse communities. Contact the team on 01900 825760 or email enquiries@cumbriafoundation.org for more information.