Nottinghamshire Solidarity Network Public Meeting

This public meeting will launch the Nottinghamshire Solidarity Network: a new county-wide network established by the Monitoring Group and Himmah bringing together community organisations, campaigners, trade unionists, faith groups and residents committed to standing together against racism, division and the far right.

At the present time, racism is once again on the rise, and the far right poses a serious threat to progressive and anti-racist politics. Across Britain, racist and anti-migrant narratives are being normalised, hostility towards refugees and migrants is growing, and an increasingly authoritarian political culture is taking hold. These developments have been driven not only by the far right itself, but also by a political class and sections of the mainstream media that have too often adopted its language and priorities rather than challenging them.

These national developments are already having local consequences. Across Nottinghamshire and the wider East Midlands, communities are facing growing division, anti-migrant agitation, and increasing pressure on the organisations and residents working to keep people connected, supported and safe.

Over the past few year, Himmah and The Monitoring Group have been building relationships across the region, carrying out research into the growth of the far right in the East Midlands, and creating spaces for local people to come together to discuss the challenges. This meeting builds on that work and marks the launch of the Nottinghamshire Solidarity Network.

The event will focus on the current political climate, the growth of division and far-right narratives, and develop ideas on how communities can respond through collective organising, participation and solidarity to build stronger, more inclusive local responses.

The Nottinghamshire Solidarity Network is intended to be a practical space for connection, coordination and anti-racist organising across the county.

Join us on Monday 20 July 2026, 6:00pm - 8:30pm, to be part of the launch.

Organised by The Monitoring Group in collaboration with Himmah.

Speakers

Nadia Whittome is the Labour MP for Nottingham East. First elected in 2019, she sits on the Women and Equalities Select Committee and is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group. She has been a vocal campaigner against the far right and has criticised rhetoric and policies that risk normalising the scapegoating of marginalised communities.

Suresh Grover is a Founder & the National Coordinator of The Monitoring Group. Established in the early 1980’s, The Monitoring Group (https://tmg-uk.org) is one of the most experienced anti-racist organisations in the UK on advocacy, campaigns and movement building. Suresh and the Monitoring Group team have galvanised hundreds of family & communities led justice and civil disobedience actions; some of these have led to the establishment of Public Judicial Inquiries due to state neglect, racism and violence, The Guardian Newspaper named him as one of 100 most influential people in social policy.

Taj Ali is a journalist and historian. He is the former editor of Tribune and regularly appears as a commentator on the BBC, as well as contributing to The Guardian, Al Jazeera English and other outlets. In 2025, he founded Anti-Racist Radar, an organisation that monitors and reports on racist attacks in the UK. For his work on hate crime and Islamophobia, he was chosen as a finalist for the 2026 Orwell Prize. His forthcoming book, 'Come What May, We're Here to Stay: The Story of South Asian Resistance in Britian', will be published in September 2026. 

Sajid Mohammed is the Director of social justice charity, Himmah. He has a track record as a community organiser and community leader with over 18 years of cross-sector leadership experience. He is the founder and director of Himmah, a Nottingham-based charity tackling poverty and racial inequality through direct action, advocacy and policy change. Himmah’s work has been nationally recognised and they are currently building a network of Solidarity centres across the regions.

Sharmen Rahman is the Green Party’s spokesperson for Equalities and Diversity. She has worked in policy on anti-racism and equality and is an active community organiser and campaigner in Leicester. Her work focuses on challenging racism, strengthening community voice, and building more just and inclusive local responses.