Anti-terror cash spent on football coaching and fashion shows

More than £4million from Britain’s counter-terrorism budget is being spent on projects including football coaching and fashion shows for young people 'at risk of becoming terrorists'.

The money, from funds allocated to de-radicalise young Muslims, includes £129,000 to a theatre company, £79,000 for sports coaching, £20,000 for fashion courses and £20,000 on art workshops.

Last night the handouts were criticised by the Conservatives, who demanded proof that taking potential terrorists on trips to the theatre was a good use of taxpayers’ money.
The disclosure comes just weeks after the country’s most senior anti-terror officer, Scotland Yard’s Assistant Commissioner John Yates, warned he would be forced to cut staff because of a shortage of money.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said an analysis of the grants handed out by the Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund – which will spend £4.1 million over the next two years – suggested that at least £2 million was being wasted on ‘tenuous’ projects.

Most of the recipients are in traditionally Labour-supporting areas such as Birmingham, West Yorkshire and East London. They include:

The Khayaal Theatre Company, which got £129,541 to put on two plays which ‘address the issues of radicalisation and extremism as they manifest themselves in families and communities’.

Bold Creative, which will receive £179,000 over three years in order to ‘roll out Tagmap TV... an internet-based resource tool that encourages debate and discussion among young people’.

Local Leagues Limited, which received £79,440 for a ‘programme of sports coaching and local competitions as preventative and diversionary activities for Muslim young people’.

Dervish Arts, which got £20,000 ‘to deliver their arts-based workshops with young people and Muslim women’.

Three Faiths Forum, which received £20,000 ‘to allow young Muslim women to use exploration of clothing and fashion to construct their own sense of Britishness’.

Mr Grayling said: ‘Branding these projects as “preventing extremism” is counter-productive. It stereotypes British Muslims as potential terrorists.