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Nottingham connected News & Sports 9 Nottingham a City of Love Not Hate – By Shamsher Chohan The increase in the reports of hate crime immediately after the EU Referendum result last June took everyone by surprise. The decision for the UK to leave the European Union polarised opinions across the country, dividing communities and in some cases families. On Valentine’s Day, Communities Inc. - winners of the Upstanding Organisation Award at the National Hate Crime Awards, 2016 - held their Love Not Hate event at Nottingham Council House. The event was organised in Partnership with Nottingham City Council and sponsored by Nottingham Trams Ltd. Over 120 representatives from community and statutory came together to discuss the best way to tackle the issue, provide support for victims and prevent further incidents. There were a wide range of information stalls and participants got the opportunity to make their own points during question & answer sessions and table dialogues. The speakers at the event were Paddy Tipping, Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire; Cllr Nicola Heaton, Nottingham City Council; Rev Canon Christian Weaver, Pilgrim Church and Dr Beata Polanowska, The Signpost for Polish Success. Key note speaker Omar Khan, Director of the Runnymede Trust gave a moving speech detailing the level of inequality faced by BME groups in the UK today. “At a time of rising hate crime, I was impressed by this event showcasing a wide range of individuals and organisations working together to tackle hate crime and xenophobia in Nottingham. Omar Khan (centre) with members of Communities Inc and Clive Foster of Nottingham City Council Nottingham connected Omar Khan Classifieds 29 African Communities in Nottingham Research Global African Integration Network (GAIN) Diaspora, an African led not-for-profit organisation, is carrying out a research on individuals and groups, businesses and organisations in Nottingham region. Visit www.gaindiaspora. co.uk for more information and to complete: - Individual / Personal Questionnaire: https://goo.gl/taWOv6 - Organisations / Groups Questionnaire: https://goo.gl/RZT8FJ For more details, please contact: Mr. Abdoulie Jah on M: 07946303384 E: [email protected] | W: www.gaindiaspora.co.uk