Bolton Be Safe Partnership has recruited 85 volunteers from local organisations and schools to become Hate Crime Ambassadors.

The partnership, which includes Bolton Council and Greater Manchester Police has asked local organisations to nominate individuals to become hate crime ambassadors within the workplace.

The ambassadors attended training sessions with guest speakers from the Sylvia Lancaster Foundation and Adrian Derbyshire, an international wheelchair champion. They learnt about why hate crime should be reported and what happens when it is.

They will now raise awareness of what hate crime is within their work places and encourage victims to report to police or partner agencies across Bolton. They will have the opportunity to refresh and enhance their knowledge and understanding throughout the year, as well as access to further online training and support.

The partnership has also recruited Junior Hate Crime Ambassadors, who were nominated by their secondary school to take part in training, who will then raise awareness of hate crime within their school.

Councillor Derek Burrows, Bolton Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety said: “Many people still do not understand the definition of hate crime and don’t know that they can report it to the police. It is completely unacceptable to physically or verbally abuse someone else based on their race, sexuality, gender or appearance.

We hope that by training these ambassadors, they will go back to their workplace or schools and raise awareness of hate crime and encourage anyone who is a victim of hate crime to report it.”

Carol Martin, Chief Inspector of Neighbourhoods and Partnership at GMP said: “It is vitally important that children and adult victims of hate crime can easily approach someone they know in their own school, workplace or other local organisation, who will listen to them and support them in reporting any incident where they have been targeted or abused just because of who they are.

We need to make all members of our community confident to report hate crime and to ensure that Bolton is regarded as a place where hate crime is just not tolerated by any of us.”

The Bolton Be Safe Partnership is still looking for more hate crime ambassadors, so anyone interested in having an ambassador in their school or business can contact Be Safe on 01204 337260 or communitysafetyservices@bolton.gov.uk