Salford Council has reversed its earlier decision on how to spend the £600,000 recovery fund for the Heaton Park terrorist attack, following criticism that no money was initially earmarked for Jewish-run projects.
In September, it was reported that not a single penny of the fund was due to go to local Jewish-run projects, despite the pot of cash being aimed at challenging direct and indirect antisemitic and racist rhetoric alongside improving community cohesion.
After a backlash from local communities, a total of £250,000 will now be set aside for projects delivered directly with and to support the Jewish community in Salford.
Background to the fund
The Hutton Operation Recovery Fund was part of a £2m pot given to local authorities in Bury, Salford, and Manchester following the terrorist attack during Yom Kippur last year. Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, lost their lives after extremist Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, tried to gain entry to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.
In September, council bosses approved spending on a range of causes, including £120,000 on wall murals celebrating the city's centenary anniversary, but not on any Jewish-run projects.
Revised allocation
The report has now been recalled and amended. Decision-makers will be asked to approve a re-portioning of the money, with £200,000 dedicated to provide resilience and trauma informed support within the Jewish community, and to support work to build cohesion and combat hate crime and antisemitism.
The money will be reallocated from the £120,000 wall mural project, now to be funded through the centenary program, and £80,000 of previously allocated funding. The remaining projects, including the Salford Young People's Project, the City Wide Music Project, and the Cohesion awards, will receive a portion of the remaining £400,000.
An additional £50,000 will also be given to Jewish community-linked projects funded by Common Ground funding.
Response from local councillor
Local councillor Andrew Walters, representative of Kersal & Broughton Park, which has a large Orthodox Jewish community, had described the original decision as 'deeply disappointing'. Responding to the U-turn, he said: "It was baffling that not a penny of Salford's original £600,000 allocation was earmarked directly for a specifically Jewish community organisation, given why this recovery funding existed.
"These may be worthwhile projects. My objection was that the plans had lost sight of the community whose experience had brought this funding to Salford in the first place. Wider cohesion work matters, but so does direct support for those affected.
"I kept pressing for that principle to translate into a practical commitment. I am pleased that this campaign has now secured a dedicated £250,000 programme."
The council did not respond to a request for comment.
