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Gemma Supports Bigotry Battle
The MP teamed up with Scotland’s leading anti-sectarianism charity, Nil by Mouth, who held an event at the House of Commons.
Nil By Mouth was founded by Glasgow teenager Cara Henderson after the brutal sectarian murder of her friend Mark Scott in 1995. Since then, the organisation has campaigned tirelessly against sectarianism both on, and off, the terraces.
The charity currently offers dedicated sectarian awareness workshops in schools and colleges through its ‘Champions for Change’ scheme and workplaces and youth groups through ‘Beyond Religion and Belief’ projects.
Gemma Doyle MP said: “I’m delighted to give my support to Nil By Mouth’s campaign. It is vital that we fight sectarianism and challenge those who want to cause divisions and prejudice.
“I was particularly interested to learn about their current training projects, both for schools and the workplace, which aim to raise awareness of sectarianism and create a more tolerant society.
“Sectarianism is a serious problem for Scotland. We tend to think it is a football problem but only a third of arrests for sectarian behaviour are football related. This problem seeps right across our society and that’s what makes the work of Nil By Mouth all the more important.”
Nil by Mouth Campaign Director, Dave Scott, commented: “We are extremely grateful for Gemma’s support for our campaign. Arrests for sectarianism rose by 30% last year and worryingly 60% of those charged were under the age of 30. We must break this cycle of bigotry.
“Everyone has a part to play in riding Scotland of sectarianism and we have been working with a number of youth groups, schools and colleges in the. All our services are free of charge and we are very keen to deepen our work with groups in the West Dunbartonshire area.”