A volunteer from the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that protects the UK's Jewish community and combats antisemitism, was among those injured in Thursday's attack on a synagogue in Manchester. The CST has been praised for its role in preventing an even worse atrocity.
The CST's presence at Jewish sites, including places of worship and schools, has become familiar in recent years. The charity not only provides security but also monitors and combats antisemitism, contributing to public policy. Since the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel and the start of the war in Gaza, CST staffing has increased by about a third amid a rise in antisemitic offences. Home Office figures show 3,282 religious hate crimes targeted at Jewish people in the year to March 2024, up from 1,543 the previous year.
The CST itself recorded 1,521 antisemitic incidents across the UK in the first half of this year. The charity, which became a registered charity in 1994, has been recording antisemitic incidents since 1984. Today, it has over 100 staff and 2,000 volunteers who undergo intensive training in first aid and security. While volunteers have been hurt before, the severe injuries in Manchester are believed to be the most serious yet.
CST chief executive Mark Gardner said: 'We pray for his continuing recovery and salute the courage of all those who helped stop the terrorist from getting into the shul [synagogue].' The CST distributes an £18m government grant for commercial security guards, deployed last year at 200 nurseries, 260 synagogues, and 50 high-profile communal buildings. The charity also conducts research into antisemitism from neo-Nazis and radical Islamists, contributing to cases such as the jailing of a far-right antisemitic video streamer in 2021.
The CST works with partners like Tell Mama, which records anti-Muslim incidents, as part of the Community Alliance to Combat Hate (CATCH) partnership. Its work includes security guides for places of worship and youth street awareness courses with Maccabi GB. The charity also meets regularly with ministers and feeds into government policy on antisemitism.
