Young people are leading a campaign to stamp out hate crime and bullying in their schools and community.

All secondary schools in Gravesham have banded together with a youth service as part of the awareness campaign Report It! which launches this month.

The video campaign Report It!

The borough's Gifted Young Gravesham (GYG) programme has begun a year-long project with schools to help educate pupils on the importance of reporting incidents to teachers, youth workers, trusted adults and the police.

Fiyin Thomas, who attended Mayfield Grammar School, said: "We started this project so many years ago because we were tired of just talking about issues and realised it was time to do something.

"Who else was going to do it? Who was best to do it? It was us, the young people who are carrying hurt in our experiences of school.

"We did not want those same hurtful experiences to carry on in our local community."

The campaign tagline "no space for hate", aims to encourage people to foster friendships, understand one another, and support others.

The 18-year-old, who now studies at Warwick University, added: "Enough is enough with young people not feeling comfortable in their identities in the very places that were created for those same identities to evolve.

"It is heart-breaking to hear how people have been treated just because of who they liked, where they came from, what God they worshipped.

"It is time for a change, so that the identity of the young person could thrive.

"This Report It! campaign means that every young person in our area can feel safe in who they are and if their safety is ever threatened, it would not just be heard but rather there would be action.

"It is a start to ensure that young people’s voices are heard, and our experiences are acknowledged and treated with the care we deserve."

A short video produced by GYG and Gravesend filmaker Pierre Jermaine includes five categories of hate crime which are "hidden in plain sight" to show that they can be difficult to spot in real life.

Jackie Coupar, youth work manager for GYG – which is part of The Grand Healthy Living Centre – said: "As youth workers we have heard from young people about the bullying and hate they have faced.

"It is not a local issue, it is a national issue and it is not exclusive to young people either. But young people here in Gravesham decided to speak out, to stand up and say stop.

"What we are especially pleased about is that every secondary school has joined together here to unite against hate. Hate is something we can stamp out if we work together."

Throughout the next year, teachers will use the campaign resources including interviews with young people who have experienced bullying or hate crime and how it has affected their lives.

They will be shown in PSHE lessons to spark discussion in classrooms and allow young people to hear first hand the damage it does.

The aim is to use the interviews to discuss differences, foster understanding and respect.

Northfleet School for Girls headteacher Chris Norwood said: "It is vitally important that all young people understand what constitutes hate crime as well as having the confidence to report any issues.

"It was clear from the outset that this excellent initiative reinforced much of the work already taking place in our schools in Gravesham and presented a great opportunity to develop a united front against all forms of hate crime and its impact.

"The young people involved in this project have not only shown excellent leadership, but also helped to further develop a positive culture across all our local schools."

The GYG website will have a dedicated page for the project with information for young people on how to report hate crime and bullying, links to online support and contact details for youth workers to contact.

Young people can also report hate crime incident online anonymously at www.fearless.org