Protective security grant funding for Jewish institutions

The Home Office has announced that it will continue to grant the Community Security Trust £14 million to help keep members of the Jewish community safe.

The Community Security Trust monitors and helps protect British Jews against antisemitism, and has been receiving Home Office support since 2015 following a series of terror attacks against Jewish targets across Europe. In 2021, the CST recorded 2,255 anti-Jewish hate incidents nationwide, the highest annual total ever recorded.

The latest grant will cover protective security for the next financial year at Jewish institutions, including synagogues and schools.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Antisemitic incidents are not just an attack on the Jewish community, but on everyone who believes in a free and open society – and won’t be tolerated in this country. This funding will continue to help Jewish people practise their religion and way of life without fear of attack or persecution and I am grateful for the work that the Community Security Trust do in building and strengthening relations between British Jews and the rest of society. British Jews, like all communities, must be able to live their lives without fear of verbal or physical attack. Only by working together can we ensure that hateful behaviour like antisemitism can be fully eliminated from our society.”

Mark Gardner, chief executive of the Community Security Trust, said: “The grant will be welcomed by Britain’s Jewish communities, coming after record levels of antisemitism and a continuing threat of terrorism against Jews. As in previous years, CST will do everything we can to ensure the best use of the money, including the quality of the guarding provided.”