Women can find out how they could play a vital role in preventing people from being drawn towards extremism, at an event in Lincoln.

The three-hour session, to be held at Bishop Grosseteste University on Thursday, July 4, has been organised by Lincolnshire Police.

Latest Home Office figures show a 36% rise nationally in referrals to the Government’s Prevent programme, relating specifically to the Extreme Right Wing (ERW). The programme aims for intervention before someone becomes involved in extreme ideologies, without criminalising them.  

The particular emphasis on women follows a survey which showed that young people would be most likely to speak to their mothers if they believed that they, or someone they knew, was heading down a path to extremism.

While work previously has been undertaken with Muslim women in Lincoln – as the most significant threat to the UK remains from Islamist-inspired terrorism – this event will largely focus on the threat from the ERW.

Pc Riz Chothia, Prevent officer at Lincolnshire Police, said: “A national survey revealed that the overwhelming majority of young people would speak to their mothers first if they had a concern about somebody they knew who they felt was being drawn towards extremism.

“The same approach also applied to themselves – they would be most likely to talk to their mothers first if they were in trouble or heading in that direction.

“We want to raise awareness of the important role that women play in safeguarding people around them from being drawn towards extremism, because that is essentially what Prevent is about: safeguarding people from being drawn towards extremism and not criminalising them.

“If we can intervene early enough we can support people and steer them away well before they’re on the path to committing a criminal act.  

“This event will be a safe space for organisers and those who attend to talk about prejudice, discrimination and racism, and how that can create suspicion, division and hatred.”

The event takes place at Bishop Grosseteste University on Thursday, July 4, between 9.30am and 12.30am.

You can register for the event by emailing prevent@lincs.pnn.police.uk or by calling 07795 265621.

Alternatively, people can turn up on the day.