A vigil will be held at Jubilee Square today to commemorate victims of hate crime.

The event, organised by the Rainbow Hub, an LGBT+ support network, will be the first of its kind since the pandemic.

Sophie Hargreaves, project manager from the Rainbow Hub said: “This week is hate crime awareness week and seeing the significant increase in hate crime reports this year, it is now more important than ever that we raise awareness about the support available.”

There will be a speaker from national charity Stop Hate UK, alongside staff from the Rainbow Hub and the Racial Harassment Forum.

A minute’s silence will be held to commemorate people who have died at the hands of hate crime, and to show support for survivors.

The organisers will also be signposting their third-party reporting service.

Possability people, a disability charity, has been collaborating with the Rainbow Hub and the Racial Harassment Forum since June to form this service, which is separate from statutory bodies.

Mirana Choudhury, coordinator of the Racial Harassment Forum’s reporting centre, said: “Our third-party service is so important because sometimes victims of hate crime feel overlooked or ignored.

“The service is non-judgemental and offers a friendly face which makes people feel that they are being heard.”

The vigil will begin at 6pm and is expected to last about an hour.