Small Steps Teams Up with Grey New York and Facebook to Combat Britain's Far Right

An organization leading the fight against the Far Right in Britain has been selected as part of Facebook’s Create Against Hate campaign this year; an initiative with the media industry and young creatives to counter hate speech and extremism online.

Small Steps was founded in 2015 and delivers training and mentoring across the UK on the threat of the Far Right. The trainers are former Far-Right activists themselves, previously belonging to groups including the English Defence League, British National Party and neo-Nazi group National Front.

The partnership with Facebook and Grey New York will help Small Steps reach an unprecedented number of people, and work to find new and exciting ways to counter hate speech and extremism online. 

The campaign includes:

- An education platform hosted on Instagram, featuring videos of graffiti artists decrypting Far-Right symbols of hate and transforming them into symbols of hope and love. 

- An initiative among Small Steps trainers and supporters to have their old Far-Right tattoos covered up as part of a Facebook video series. Watch a personal story here:

The work will be hosted online, celebrating and promoting the mission of Small Steps.

Nigel Bromage, Founder of Small Steps, said: “The Far Right in the UK is a real threat. Whether it’s hate speech or violence on our streets, it’s the responsibility of everyone to unite against hate and division. Having joined the Far Right as a teenager, I know young people in particular are at risk of being groomed into the movement. That’s why we need to be talking to them directly: online, and in a way that they can relate to."

John Patroulis, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of Grey, said, "Our young creatives put their hearts and souls in this work and are committed to this vital organization."

A spokesperson for Facebook said, “Create Against Hate is a Facebook-led initiative that aims to eradicate and make a stance against hate, discrimination, and extremism on our platforms by establishing a movement within the creative industry and with partners like Small Steps. Some of our most important partnerships are focused on counterspeech, which means encouraging people to speak out against violence and extremism.”