Anne Frank Trust reaches 137k young people as report finds major gains in education

The Anne Frank Trust UK reached more than 137,000 young people across 272 schools during the last academic year, as new research found its programmes significantly improved participants’ understanding of antisemitism and confidence in challenging prejudice.

The findings were unveiled at a parliamentary reception in the House of Commons on Monday evening, where MPs, Peers, Holocaust survivors, community leaders and supporters gathered for the launch of the charity’s latest impact report, Challenging Prejudice, Changing Attitudes.

The independent evaluation, carried out by the University of Kent, found that 89.9 percent of participants improved their understanding of antisemitism after taking part in the Trust’s programmes, while 89.3 percent reported a better understanding of prejudice. More than four in five increased their confidence to challenge prejudice, and 90.2 percent developed more positive attitudes towards at least one social group.

The Anne Frank Trust delivers workshops, peer education projects and ambassador programmes in schools across the UK, using Anne Frank’s story and Holocaust education to help young people challenge antisemitism and all forms of prejudice.

Researchers found that before taking part, many young people had limited knowledge of antisemitism, low confidence in challenging prejudice and cautious attitudes towards people from different backgrounds.

Anne Frank Trust chief executive Dan Green said the findings highlighted both the scale of the challenge and the importance of education.

“At a time of rising hatred, increasing division and real pressure on community cohesion, it matters that we stand together across political divides, backgrounds, communities and perspectives,” he said.

“Our impact report lays bare the scale of the challenge. Before taking part in our programmes, young people show low levels of empathy, confidence to challenge prejudice and particularly limited knowledge of antisemitism.

“But every day, we see how education can break down prejudice before it takes hold.”

The evaluation, based on responses from more than 4,500 young people, also found that participants showed the greatest positive change in attitudes towards Jewish people.

Presenting the findings, Dr Katie Goodbun of the University of Kent said: “The greatest impact in terms of attitude change was towards Jewish people.

“Young people significantly increase their knowledge around what antisemitism is, and their confidence to recognise and challenge it.”

Researchers also found that young people living in areas with higher levels of antisemitic incidents often made the greatest progress, suggesting the programmes were reaching communities where they were most needed.

The reception heard from current and former Anne Frank Ambassadors whose experiences brought the report’s findings to life.

Olivia, who completed the programme in 2025, said: “Visiting Auschwitz and the Anne Frank House, and seeing these places first-hand, has boosted my confidence and strengthened my resolve to challenge antisemitism and all forms of prejudice.

“Being part of this incredible organisation has helped shape the young adult I have become, and I will always consider myself an Anne Frank Ambassador.”

Former ambassador Hamza Miah, now training as a solicitor at the Bank of England, said the programme had played a significant role in his development.

“What makes the Anne Frank Trust unique is the trust and responsibility it places in young people,” he said.

“Many of the skills I developed as an Ambassador – particularly confidence, communication and public speaking – have been directly relevant to my career development.”

The reception was hosted by Labour MP Alex Sobel, who warned about the dangers of rising prejudice and online misinformation.

“Education and early intervention really matter,” he said.

“Teaching young people about critical analysis, teaching them about resilience, teaching them to separate fact from fiction, is hugely important.”

Sobel added: “We all have a shared responsibility to tackle prejudice wherever we find it in society.”

School Standards Minister Georgia Gould praised the charity’s impact and described its work as increasingly important.

“The Anne Frank Trust, you’re making sure that her story is not just one that so many young people hear, but also is a force for change, not just to tackle antisemitism, but also to tackle all forms of hate,” she said.

“The difference that you are making in your work, the statistics, is really extraordinary.”

The keynote address was delivered by broadcaster and journalist Andrew Marr, who warned about the dangers of misinformation and the need to confront antisemitism through education.

“The social media that we are talking about is the enemy that the Anne Frank Trust is fighting against,” he said.

“It is the lies about history, it is the distortions about other groups of people in our society that are being fed into people’s brains the whole time, day after day, minute by minute, that proper history has to combat.”

Marr also argued that antisemitism could never be viewed as a problem of the past.

“Without understanding that antisemitism, that dark lurking evil in European history, is always present, you can’t assume as I used to do that it is fading away and it is something from the past,” he said.

“It will come back, and therefore you always need education; you always need to push back inside schools and deal with the truth about what actually happened.”

During the reception, Anne Frank Trust chair Nicola Cobbold announced the charity’s first honorary patrons, including Dame Joanna Lumley, Sir Michael Morpurgo and Holocaust survivors Arek Hersh, Martin Stern MBE, Eva Clarke BEM, Mala Tribich MBE and Max Snijders.

Speaking to Jewish News, Tribich praised the young people involved in the charity’s work.

“I just have admiration for them,” she said.

Cobbold also warned that demand for the Trust’s programmes now exceeds available resources.

“Last academic year, the Anne Frank Trust reached 137,000 young people. Demand for our programme has never been higher, nor the need greater,” she said.

“Right now, we are postponing or turning schools away because we simply do not have the resources to fulfil the demand.”

The charity said the findings demonstrate that education can play a vital role in increasing understanding of antisemitism and prejudice, while highlighting growing demand from schools seeking support in helping young people navigate an increasingly polarised world.