Latest news with #AntiRacistCumbria
Telegraph
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Children in Need funds group that claims gender-critical views are racist
BBC Children in Need has helped fund a group that claims gender-critical beliefs are rooted in 'white supremacy'. Anti-Racist Cumbria has claimed that opposition to gender ideology – the idea that people can choose to become a man or woman – is rooted in 'patriarchy' and 'oppression'. The charity that works with local schools claimed that the views of JK Rowling and other gender-critical feminists are the result of 'white supremacy'. In a lengthy statement, the charity added that 'defining womanhood as 'biological' is dangerous' and can lead down a 'slippery slope of white supremacy thinking'. BBC Children in Need, which is independent of the BBC's leadership and funded by public donations, is currently helping to fund this charity. It will provide a £42,500 grant for a two-year period, topping up a previous £50,000 allocation, to launch a TikTok channel to share 'anti-racist educational resources' and news about its youth outreach work. 'Politically black' Children in Need is listed as a funder of Anti-Racist Cumbria in its most recent annual accounts. This work has included a youth club pitched at 'black and brown' youngsters, including those who are 'politically black'. Founded in 2020, Anti-Racist Cumbria also provides courses that 'promote anti-racism' in schools, and runs workshops with businesses covering issues such as 'white privilege' and 'understanding whiteness'. This work is supported financially by foundations, National Lottery funding, and Westmorland and Furness council, which in February raised council tax by 4.99 per cent. The charity moved on to the transgender debate in a lengthy criticism of gender-critical feminists following the Supreme Court ruling in April that made clear 'women' were legally defined by their biological sex. This followed a legal battle launched by campaign group For Women Scotland to challenge the Scottish Government's decision to count anyone 'living as a woman' in official statistics on the number of female board members. Anti-Racist Cumbria claimed following the Supreme Court decision: 'The activism of so-called 'gender-critical feminists', supported by the likes of JK Rowling and the Trump movement, will not stop here. 'The fight against trans rights does not exist in isolation, and although it is dressed up as 'women's rights', it's a direct result of patriarchy and white supremacy as systems of oppression.' The post also included an image of JK Rowling smoking a cigar 'on her superyacht', the charity claimed in a picture caption, while many 'transgender people have experienced homelessness'. The lengthy article about the gender ruling, on the 'resources' section of the charity's website, also touched on issues of women's safety, which it claimed were preludes to 'fascism'. 'The road to fascism' The charity shared an image of young female campaigners with the Women's Safety Initiative UK, which aims to 'expose the dangers of uncontrolled immigration' with regard to sexual assaults on women. Anti-Racist Cumbria stated on its website that the Women's Safety Initiative UK is raising concerns about foreign sex criminals, stating: 'The fight for women's rights is being used to hide the dark underbelly of not only transphobia, but racism too. 'It is not a stretch to say that the road that we are being driven down is the road to fascism.' Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, director of campaign group Don't Divide Us, has criticised the charity's ideological claims. She said: 'This is a perfect illustration of how racism has become unmoored from its original meaning. Accusing a person or organisation of being a racist or white supremacist used to be something we reserved for the BNP or the National Front. It used to mean something. 'Now it's been utterly diluted by activists, who use 'white supremacy' as a snarl because they can't defend their own arguments. BBC Children in Need should not be funding organisations that cheapen the meaning of racism.' BBC Children in Need said that the charity is 'independently governed and does not take a position on matters of public policy. None of the funding awarded by BBC Children in Need supports policy or campaigning activity'. It added: 'We are currently funding the Young Black Arctivists project for young black British people in Cumbria, to create and deliver educational resources that encourage unity across communities.' Anti-Racist Cumbria has provided training to staff at Wordsworth's former home of Dove Cottage, now a museum that is seeking to root out the poet's colonial past as revealed by the Telegraph.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Far-right group visit to mosque site condemned
The visit of a far-right group to the construction site of a mosque has been condemned, including by the MP who said such groups were "not welcome" in the area. A group of Muslim doctors at Barrow's Furness General Hospital spearheaded plans for the South Lakes Islamic Centre in Dalton-in-Furness because the nearest mosque was 50 miles away. Britain First held a demonstration outside the Ulverston Road site, where the co-leaders held a banner reading "no mosque here". The group's petition to revoke planning permission received more than 70,000 signatures but Anti Racist Cumbria urged the local community to "stand against" misinformation about the development and Muslims as a group. Labour MP for Barrow and Furness, Michelle Scrogham said: "Britain First, which emerged from the old British National Party, are not welcome in Barrow and Furness where, for generations, we are proud to have a community which supports one another." Westmorland and Furness Council Conservative deputy leader Matt Brereton said there was a "sizeable Islamic faith community" in the wider Furness area. "I don't really see there should be an issue in terms of them having somewhere they can celebrate their faith," he said. The South Lakes Islamic Centre charity believes the prayer rooms and community centre in Dalton would prove beneficial for local Muslim families and visiting tourists. Planning approval was originally granted in December 2022 with the group previously stating the space would cater for the 40 to 50 practising Muslim doctors at Furness General Hospital and their families. Managing director of Footprint Design Architects Yaqoob Malik said the controversy had led to some local suppliers pulling out of the project. Mr Mailk said: "Supply chains were hesitant being involved in such a project. "I don't believe there was any discrimination from their own part, I think more so they were concerned about the repercussions that it may have to their business." The site has also been subject to misinformation, including that it is a "mega mosque in the Lake District" - when it is a 33ft (10m) tall and 98ft (30m) long building, an hour's drive from Windermere. Misinformation prompted Westmorland and Furness Council to release fact-checking guidance. It was never the case that an application for a children's home had been turned down at the site, the local authority said. The council said the then Barrow Council received 47 responses to the proposals at the time. Of those 21 were objections, 18 were in support and eight were neutral comments. A council spokesperson added: "Our role as the statutory planning authority has been to determine whether the application aligned with planning policy and to make a decision in accordance with planning rules. "This procedure was followed correctly, democratically and legally, and there are no grounds to rescind this planning application.'' Additional reporting by Dan Hunt, Local Democracy Reporter Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Far-right group visit to Dalton-in-Furness mosque site condemned
The visit of a far-right group to the construction site of a mosque has been condemned, including by the MP who said such groups were "not welcome" in the area.A group of Muslim doctors at Barrow's Furness General Hospital spearheaded plans for the South Lakes Islamic Centre in Dalton-in-Furness because the nearest mosque was 50 miles First held a demonstration outside the Ulverston Road site, where the co-leaders held a banner reading "no mosque here".The group's petition to revoke planning permission received more than 70,000 signatures but Anti Racist Cumbria urged the local community to "stand against" misinformation about the development and Muslims as a group. Labour MP for Barrow and Furness, Michelle Scrogham said: "Britain First, which emerged from the old British National Party, are not welcome in Barrow and Furness where, for generations, we are proud to have a community which supports one another."Westmorland and Furness Council Conservative deputy leader Matt Brereton said there was a "sizeable Islamic faith community" in the wider Furness area."I don't really see there should be an issue in terms of them having somewhere they can celebrate their faith," he said. The South Lakes Islamic Centre charity believes the prayer rooms and community centre in Dalton would prove beneficial for local Muslim families and visiting approval was originally granted in December 2022 with the group previously stating the space would cater for the 40 to 50 practising Muslim doctors at Furness General Hospital and their families. 'No grounds to rescind' Managing director of Footprint Design Architects Yaqoob Malik said the controversy had led to some local suppliers pulling out of the Mailk said: "Supply chains were hesitant being involved in such a project."I don't believe there was any discrimination from their own part, I think more so they were concerned about the repercussions that it may have to their business."The site has also been subject to misinformation, including that it is a "mega mosque in the Lake District" - when it is a 33ft (10m) tall and 98ft (30m) long building, an hour's drive from prompted Westmorland and Furness Council to release fact-checking was never the case that an application for a children's home had been turned down at the site, the local authority council said the then Barrow Council received 47 responses to the proposals at the time. Of those 21 were objections, 18 were in support and eight were neutral comments.A council spokesperson added: "Our role as the statutory planning authority has been to determine whether the application aligned with planning policy and to make a decision in accordance with planning rules. "This procedure was followed correctly, democratically and legally, and there are no grounds to rescind this planning application.'' Additional reporting by Dan Hunt, Local Democracy Reporter Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Teen race-hate probe 'could have been quicker'
More could have been done to speed up an investigation into an online video showing an alleged racist hate crime against a child, a police chief has said. No charges have been brought a year after the circulation of the footage which appeared to show a black teenage boy in Carlisle being pushed and punched by a white boy before being made to kiss his shoes. Four boys were arrested and released on bail. Rob Carden, chief constable of Cumbria Police, described the case as complex but said the force's work "could have been a lot quicker". His comments follow criticism by Niall McNulty, of Anti Racist Cumbria, who said 12 months was a "long time" for the family of the youngster to wait for some form of outcome. The video was recorded on 15 March 2024 in the Upperby area of Carlisle and involved at least one child from St John Henry Newman Catholic School. Speaking to BBC Radio Cumbria's Steph Finnon, Mr Carden said the incident was "deeply disturbing" and it had been "appalling to hear what the young boy had to go through". Asked whether his force's response had been appropriate, he replied: "The case itself is more complex than you might expect. There have been multiple lines of inquiry and people to speak to. "We provided a file for the CPS in November, it came back to us to do more work. It's been with the CPS [again] since January. "A decision is imminent, but from a policing perspective we could have done more to speed that up. It could have been a lot quicker." Mr Carden disputed Mr McNulty's suggestion that it could have been dealt with at the same speed as people charged with online-related crimes following the deaths of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, last summer and subsequent riots across the country. "I don't think you can compare it to some of the online crimes that took place in the summer," Mr Corden said. "They were far more simple to deal with. "There are opportunities to improve. "To make sure we give victims of crime the confidence to come to us and seek help, we've got to be as good as we can [at Cumbria Police] and we haven't been on this occasion." Earlier this week, Anti Racist Cumbria said there should be a system in place to deal with such cases more quickly and "more effectively". Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. No charges a year after alleged hate crime Hate crime probe hitting 'confidence' in police Alleged hate crime condemned by school and leaders Cumbria Police Crown Prosecution Service Anti Racist Cumbria
BBC News
14-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Museum aims to tell Whitehaven's slavery links 'more honestly'
A museum is changing its exhibits to reflect a town's "glossed over" connections to slavery. The Rum Story in Whitehaven opened in 2000 and highlights the history of the Jefferson family business which was involved in shipping and the trading and enslavement of African people in the 18th Harbour Commissioners and the charity Anti Racist Cumbria said they would use a grant of almost £250,000 carrying out fact-checks with historians and trying to trace descendants of those of the charity, Janett Walker, said for years the role that ports such as Whitehaven played in the slave trade had not been properly reflected. She said this meant the "intergenerational consequences, including trauma had been ignored".She also said there had been "active avoidance or euphemism" with the use of terms such as "shipping" or the "Virginia Trade" to refer to museum will spend £249,431 awarded from the National Lottery Heritage Fund on improvements and updating exhibits. Project manager Katy Haigh said the aim was to find out how the trading and trafficking of African people had left a "legacy" on affected said the funding will also be used to make the exhibits more engaging and tell stories in a "more honest way".The museum also wants to explore how it can work with communities, schools and businesses as well as attract tourists to the town. 'Not shy away' The head of the non-profit Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, Deanne Shallcross, said people should not have to travel to big cities to "learn about enslavement and how it has shaped our country". "We have the history right here and we want to make sure the way it is told is shaped by the community and does not shy away from recounting a fuller picture of history," she said. Businesses, universities, artists, historians and curators are being urged to get involved later in the year. Ms Haig said: "I am so excited about this project and I really believe it has the potential to bring communities together and re-engage people with the history of their town." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
