Written by Hope Heeley
Disclaimer: this is a personal blog by a BuDS member. The views expressed are personal, and don’t necessarily represent those of BuDS or our Trustees.
Hello!
My name is Hope, I am the Disability Hate Crime Officer here at BuDS. I began working for BuDS in January 2023. BuDS is my first true experience of the working world and I have never felt more welcome.
“BuDS is an incredibly supportive and hard-working charity.”
BuDS is an incredibly supportive and hard-working charity. Their sole aim is to help disabled people in any way they can, this has been made clear to me in our most recent projects.
I would like to take this opportunity to update on the work myself and the team have done so far on the project.
We have been busy in the background having meetings with Thames Valley Police, Stop Hate UK and Bucks Council representatives in order to assess the requirements for this project and how we can work together moving forward to support disabled people.
We have also been working hard on the admin behind the project such as setting up the database, creating data sharing agreements, memorandums of understanding and flow charts of the processes in place. We have also created a new logo for the Victim Support Services too, please check this out below!
The project itself will be split into 3 categories;
- Victim Support Service – If you have experienced hate crime here at BuDS we can support you. Once you have filled out our self-referral form or been referred to us by Stop-Hate UK, a friendly volunteer will be in contact with you to talk about your experience. After the initial meeting, we can offer you more support or refer you to a service who may better suited to your needs.
- Third-party referral – Some of you who reach out to us may wish to take your hate crime experience further. Here at BuDS we can support you in talking to the police. We understand that this can be difficult to do, so we can support you as much as you need. We are here for you; we can assist you with the initial report to the police and further if needed.
- Education and Awareness – Keep an eye on our website and social media for case studies from individuals who have report their experiences of hate crime to us. You may also see a survey coming out soon that allows you to share your experiences with us.
Although disability hate crime may not be as widely acknowledged as other forms of hate crime, here at BuDS we recognise the importance of supporting you with your experience. Disability hate crime should not be ‘a part of everyday life’, it is not ok and you should be able to voice that. Here at BuDS we listen and help you raise your voice to say no to disability hate crime.
If you feel like you have been discriminated against, would like further advice, or would like to share your own experiences, you can contact the BuDS Victim Support and Reporting Service on hatecrimesupport@buds.org.uk.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 999 or if you would like to report a crime to the police that is not in progress please call 101 or report online https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/ro/report/hate-crime/hc-av1/report-hate-crime/
If you would like to join our team of volunteers please contact our Volunteer Coordinator on volunteering@buds.org.uk, or call 01494 211179 and leave us a voicemail.