World Day of Social Justice: 8 Campaigns in the UK to Support 

On a purple background, there are three illustrations and yellow shapes and lines. In the bottom lefthand corner is an illustration of a racialised person holding up their fist, with the word protest written on the side. Another racialised person is holding a megaphone. 'No more' is written on a protest sign, with hands holding it up. The illustrations are all in different shapes.

From mandatory racial literacy training in schools to mutual aid groups connecting pen pals with people in prison, we spotlight eight social justice campaigns in the UK you should support.

1. Enough is Enough

Enough is Enough is a campaign founded by trade unionists and organisations.

They’re calling for:

  • A real pay rise
  • Slashing energy bills
  • An end to food poverty
  • Decent homes for all 
  • Tax the rich

Find out more about their campaign, how you can join them, and what local protests are happening in your area. You can also sign their petition. 

2. Abolish Reporting 

Led by Migrants Organise, Abolish Reporting is a campaign “calling for a world built on principles of care, not surveillance.”

They are organising for an end to the surveillance of people seeking refugee or asylum in the UK. 

Since the campaign started, the Government has proposed to use facial recognition technology to monitor people. 

“Campaigners say 24-hour surveillance of [people seeking asylum] breaches human rights, and may have a detrimental impact on migrants’ health and wellbeing,” The Guardian reported.

Sign Migrant Organise’s petition and keep up to date with the campaign on their website.

3. #NoMoreLyes

Level Up are campaigning for beauty brands to remove harmful chemicals from their hair products.

Companies like L’Oreal and Revlon sell products that include lye - which is heavily impacting Black people.

According to Level Up, Black women who regularly use hair relaxers that contain lye are at “30% increased risk of breast cancer.|”

A recent study in America, looking at the impacts of chemical straighteners, involved 34,000 Black women over 11 years. The study found that women who had been using lye-based straighteners, had “double the risk of uterine cancer faced by women who didn’t use these products.”

Sign Level Up’s petition and check their website to find out ways you can support the campaign.

4. Free Our Friends

Free Our Friends is a mutual aid group who provide people in prison with funds and connecting pen pals. 

They have ongoing actions and post regular updates on how you can support. 

Follow them on Instagram or Twitter for more information.

For further reading: Books Beyond Bars are a campaign group connecting LGBTQIA+ people in prison with books, zines and educational resources 

5. Hookers Against Hardship

Hookers Against Hardship are a grassroots collective “aiming to raise awareness of the specific experiences of sex workers during, and because of, the cost of living crisis.”

The group, led by sex worker organisations, also lead on the decriminalising sex work campaign. This campaign aims to ensure that the income and safety of sex workers are protected.

Sign their petition and read their website for more information on supporting. You can also donate to their fundraiser on GoFundMe. 

6. Everyday Racism

Everyday Racism has launched a campaign to make racial literacy mandatory for all teachers.

They are campaigning for the training to include (but not limited to):

  • Knowledge of the historical roots of racism and how racism shows up in the education system from the classroom, playground, staffroom and policy.
  • An understanding of the teaching practice of anti-racism within the classroom including the study of key language such as adultification (when racialised children, particularly Black children, are treated like adults), race as a social construct, islamophobia, antisemitism and the model minority myth.
  • The ability to confidently use strategies to deal with racism within the classroom and the wider school community

Sign and share Everyday Racism’s petition.

For further reading: The Black Curriculum is an organisation who deliver programmes to young people across the UK on Black History. 

7. Ban Conversion Therapy 

A coalition of 21 LGBTQIA+ organisations are calling for the Government to ban conversion therapy for all LGBTQ+ people.

While the Government has previously committed to making this change, trans people were excluded from the proposed legislation. 

Ban Conversion Therapy are campaigning for the Government to “bring forward legislation to protect all LGBTQIA+ people from harm, with no loopholes or further delays.”

Email your MP to call for them to support the ban of conversion therapy. 

8. No Police in Schools

No Police in Schools is a community campaign organised by Kids of Colour and the Northern Police Monitoring Project.  They are “united by our shared concerns over the increasing presence of police in schools in Greater Manchester and beyond.”

Campaigners received news in 2021 that “officers currently based in Manchester’s schools will be pulled out and redeployed into a different role”, via a council email. 

But they also raised concerns around this not being a full solution - with lack of official confirmation when this would happen and instead placing police officers in other local communities. 

In January 2023, Runnymede released a report on policing in schools. Through freedom of information requests, they found that there are nearly 1,000 police officers in schools. 

Their analysis also showed “police officers are more likely to be based in schools in areas with higher numbers of pupils eligible for free school meals, which correlates with higher numbers of Black and [racialised] students.”

Keep up with No More Police in School’s campaign on their website and sign their petition. There are also other ways you can support, including donating to their campaign. 

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This piece was written by Spark & Co.’s Digital and Marketing Support, Cherokee (They/Them).