Originally published 8 August 2024. Updated 22 August

Horrific events over the past week have affected many different communities.

Thankfully, London has so far managed to avoid these outbreaks of disorder. Nationally, NAVCA, our national partner, has worked with other civil society leaders in condemning the violent disorder perpetrated over the last week. They said, “We recognise that the violence is rooted in racism and xenophobia, and we condemn the rhetoric that has manifested in these appalling attacks. This is not representative of the voluntary and community organisations our members work with or the areas and communities they jointly support”.

The Civil Society Group, made up of infrastructure bodies like NAVCA and NCVO, have issued a statement condemning the racist violence and emphasising the role of a civil society response. We share these sentiments.

We have been working closely with partner organisations in London and wanted to share a list of useful resources to support the voluntary, community and faith sector due to the heightened concerns around disinformation, discrimination and violence in London.

As always, we are here to listen to your concerns to see where we can support members, and to pass information to local government and other relevant organisations. To progress this we will be meeting with the local authority next week to discuss the matters. If there is anything you wish to raise please let us know by emailing christophere@communitylinksbromley.org.uk.

Information and resources

Below you can find information and resources shared with us from partners, mainly by VCS Emergencies Partnership (VCS EP) and London Communities Emergency Partnership (LCEP).

Most at risk: Refugees, asylum seekers, particularly those in hotel accommodation, and Muslim communities.

Risk of more riots this week: Sharing of locations comes with its own risk, but all areas, particularly those without a significant population of refugees or Muslim communities.

Opportunity: Efforts to connect with formal and informal community or faith leaders is where partners are experiencing the greatest leverage/influence.

Things to consider

Prioritise your people: The safety and security of your staff, volunteers and the people you support is paramount. The EP have pulled together a few basic suggestions that partners may want to consider: 

  1. Communicate with them, raise their awareness and make sure you give them up to date guidance on how to keep themselves and others safe
  2. Consider travel times and routes
  3. Be careful about your brand and how that brand identity may put your people at risk
  4. Review your policies, contact details and emergency plans 

Protect your properties: 

  • Review your business continuity plans
  • Consider guidance on what makes your buildings safer - recognising some are quick fixes, but many may take longer to implement (more details below)
  • Don’t forget the vacant buildings - these can be easy targets

Message from the Metropolitan Police

It is stressed, there is no intelligence to suggest events on the scale portrayed within some of this guidance is expected in Bromley, rather there is practical advice which might be relevant in a range of situations at different levels of seriousness.

In the wake of tragic incident in Southport and protests and rioting across the country, this matter is affecting our national security and has caused concerns for communities. Police are doing what they can to keep the public safe, uphold the law and bring offenders to justice. Members of communities have been assisting police on this matter which is greatly appreciated. Please report any information or concern regarding protests through this link below or call 101: Something you've seen or heard | Metropolitan Police

If a protest or gathering is witnessed in any area from any group or urgent police assistance needed, call 999 immediately.  Please do not inform individual police officers before taking the above steps. In a given situation, officers may not have access to their emails affect their ability to take the necessary action.

Further to the above, there’s a range of safety advice that’s available on Public Safety Advice | ProtectUK for businesses and the public, applicable whenever people need protecting. Even when events are violent crime, disorder and criminal damage, rather than terrorism offences, the following advice is potentially useful.

Download the resources

 

Fire safety information from London Fire Brigade:

If you have concerns about fire safety and the risk of arson in your home, place of work, community hub or place of worship, LFB have tools and advice to help.

Our Home Fire Safety Checker tool allows you to carry out a thorough check of your home in only a few minutes. It’s simple and practical – giving you specific advice for your family and your home (and may include booking Home Fire Safety Visits for vulnerable members of our community).

We have useful advice for reducing arson risks at home and reducing arson risks for businesses that includes simple steps such as removing rubbish, having working fire detection, security considerations for businesses, and further advice on additional steps such as fire reduction letterboxes.

If you have a fire safety concern (e.g. blocked fire exits, accumulated rubbish) that cannot be rectified by the responsible person at a business or place of work, it can be reported here (select ‘concern about a building’ from drop-down menu or use 24/7 contact number if urgent). Our website also contains useful advice about fire safety for businesses.

There is also further advice for businesses on Fire as a weapon | NPSA and A guidance document has been developed in collaboration with the Home Office, National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). This document highlights the mitigation of the risks posed by terrorists conducting attacks that combine the use of fire with other attack methods, known as a fire as a weapon (FAW) attack.

 

Additional resources