The number of hate crimes against people with learning disabilities reported to the police has reached a record high. Despite this rise, the number of people convicted for the crime actually fell last year.

Oxfordshire charity My Life My Choice launched its anti-hate crime campaign on BBC 1 South Today. The charity, run by and for people with learning disabilities, is encouraging people with learning disabilities to speak up about hate crime. Their members will also be workinga with Thames Valley Police to make it easier to report a crime, and are asking the public to speak out if they see hate crime incidents in their communities.

Andy Law, who works as a champion for the charity, visited Westminster to meet MPs and raise issues faced by the learning disabled community.

Highlighting the problems around hate crime he said: “When people see someone different from how they are, they don’t like it. So we are speaking out about it. I’m not speaking up just for myself; I’m speaking up for those people who cannot speak up.” The campaign is supported by Oxfam, Oxford City Council , Oxfordshire County Council and Oxfordshire Community Foundation, and tells people to ‘Speak Up, Speak Easily and Speak Out’.

My Life My Choice has 450 active members and is run by a team of trustees with learning disabilities. All the charity’s projects are run for and by people with learning disabilities.

As well as promoting choice, empowerment and social inclusion, the charity also provides volunteering, training, social and employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities throughout Oxfordshire. The organisation runs a monthly nightclub, a training team of people with learning disabilities, and a scheme to support people to travel independently. It also broadcasts a two-hour show once a fortnight called StingRadio live on StudyVox FM at www.studyvoxfm.com which can be heard every other Tuesday afternoon (repeated on Saturday morning); see their website for details.

The charity is focusing its efforts on reducing hate crime in Oxfordshire and needs your support.

My Life My Choice has entered a competition and stands to win a share of £10,000 to support the campaign, but it needs your vote.

Visit http://bit.ly/MWp5D9 to view for their campaign video.

Visit mlmcuk.wordpress.com for more information about My Life My Choice.