Hawzah News Agency – Mosques and Muslim faith schools are being urged to apply for the £24.5m funding available for security measures to help protect places of worship and schools.

The Places of Worship Protective Security Funding scheme provides funding for places of worship and faith community centres that are vulnerable to hate crime.

institutions have until 14 July 2022 to make their application for the funding.

Separately, Muslim organisations will be able to register their interest in security guarding services, although this will be available at some point later in the year.

In 2020/2021, 45% of religious hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales were targeted against Muslims.

Just last week a mosque in Shoreditch, East London had its windows vandalised while in Ramadan thugs armed with bottles and hockey sticks launched a “racially aggravated” assault on worshippers outside the Sri Lankan Muslim Centre in East London.

Funding for security measures

Places of worship can bid for funding to put in place security measures.

This could include the installation of CCTV cameras and perimeter fencing to ensure that adequate measures are in place to protect worshippers.

"It is a fundamental right to be able to practise your faith in your community," said Security Minister Damian Hinds.

"This new round of funding will cover the costs of security measures for places of worship to deter and prevent hate crime attacks on vulnerable communities, making our streets safer."

"I encourage any place of worship which feels vulnerable to hate crime to apply for funding through the Places of Worship fund."

Director of Tell MAMA, Iman Atta, said: "Tell MAMA has regularly called for additional support to Islamic institutions and mosques and in line with the national anti-Muslim hate crime monitoring and support services that Tell MAMA provides on an ongoing basis. Collectively, this support from the government should be welcomed and applauded."

In addition to this, a further £3.5 million is available for all faith communities through the government’s Places of Worship Fund. This scheme runs alongside the Jewish Community Protective Security grant, which provides protective security for the Jewish community and was recently renewed for this year.