Riverside, one of the UK’s leading social housing and regeneration organisations, has won a Merseyside Police Authority Community Award for its hate crime project.
The six month campaign named "Stop the Hate" was aimed at raising awareness of different cultures and tackling anti-social behaviour in the Kensington area of Liverpool. It was organised by the As One partnership and funded by Riverside and Citysafe. The project saw young people from Edge Hill Youth Club, Kensington Fields Community Association, Kensington Youth Inclusion Project and Central Youth Club come together to celebrate diversity.
The youngsters took part in activities such as drama workshops to explore cultural similarities and differences, and interviewed shopkeepers about their experiences of racial abuse. They also
visited cultural buildings and places of worship, participated in religious celebrations, dressed in national costumes and tasted foreign foods.
The project culminated in a colourful celebration of multi-culturalism at the Hindu Cultural Association at which over 120 young people showcased their experiences through drama, poetry, artwork
and dance.
Along with being awarded the Merseyside Police Authority Community Award, the project was also chosen from 250 entries nationally as a finalist in the Creating Safer Communities category of the UK Housing Awards.
Riverside's record of diversity achievement dates back to its inception as Liverpool Improved Houses in 1928. The 1970s saw the company growing rapidly and in 1996 it expanded beyond Merseyside to
become Riverside Housing. The Riverside Group was founded in 2001 and in April 2009 Community Seven, Bowlee Park Housing, Berrybridge Housing, Lee Valley Housing, Carlisle Housing Association,
Riverside North East, Riverside Housing and The Riverside Group amalgamated to become Riverside, owning or managing around 50,000 properties throughout England.
While benefiting from being a large national organisation, its service delivery is localised through a network of neighbourhood offices that work with its customers, developing services that make a
real difference to their daily lives.
For more information on Riverside's various diversity projects please visit it's dedicated diversity page
