A NEW partnership between Essex Police and the Witham Hub has been made to fight against hate crime.

Witham Hub and Essex Police have announced a new registered partnership, making the Hub into Hate Incident Reporting Centre.

Anyone who has been a victim of a hate crime can come in to see someone to assist them to report the incident in the way they feel the most comfortable.

Often hate crimes go unreported because people feel they will not be listened too or are too scared.

Witham Hub want to change this and be there to support the process.

The volunteers there are completing training to ensure there is always someone on hand to help.

The training given was done by Essex Police, who invited the Hub to become a Hate Incident Reporting Centre.

Hate crimes are, or have been motivated by, hostility based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

Witham Hub Chair of Trustees, Tina Townsend, said: “The Witham Hub’s ethos is social inclusion, we welcome all ways we can enable this, I’ve been a hate crime ambassador for several years.

“I am a police volunteer working in restorative justice mediation and through this new partnership we hope to reduce the incidents of hate crime by raising awareness and support as needed.

“Sadly, hate crimes are on the rise, not just physically or verbally but by social media so more awareness and HIRC’s will, we hope, give people more confidence to report.

“The mental health impacts on those subjected to Hate Crimes can ruin the victim’s life and can leave them unable to cope, no one should feel this way, so we want them to know we are here to help them through the reporting process, we all have a right to live life without prejudice.”

The Witham Hub have been raising awareness about the topic, with more people now asking more about what a hate crime is.

For anyone wishing to raise concern or visit the volunteers, The Witham Hub is open to the public 10am – 2pm Monday to Saturday.