JAN Trust launched Web Guardians™ in 2010, an innovative programme designed to educate and empower women to prevent online extremism, radicalisation and gang violence, ultimately building community resilience. Before the project went live, the women who have been at the heart of our grassroots centre and services were consulted to understand their needs and inform the programme. Web Guardians™ is the first of its kind, empowering women and mothers to tackle online extremism, radicalisation and gangs at the centre of community-based solutions. We are proud that we have delivered over 315 sessions of Web Guardians™ giving women new confidence and safeguarding knowledge to protect their children from extremism, radicalisation and gangs online.

In combination with Web Guardians™, JAN Trust spent several years researching internet extremism and we published our findings in 2012. The report is called ‘Internet Extremism: Working Towards a Community Solution’. This shows clearly why a project such as Web Guardians™ is essential to deal with online extremism, radicalisation and gangs on the internet promoting violence. 

To date the programme has supported over 21,000 individuals from 30 ethnicities in 23 areas of the UK. Our Web Guardians™ countering extremism programme has led to awards and recognition from national government, human rights organisations, NGOs and NPOs.

About JAN Trust

JAN Trust was founded in 1989 as a result of an overwhelming demand from the local community. Marginalised and socially excluded women were approaching JAN Trust’s founder at her home seeking help and assistance. These women and mothers, living in Haringey, were in dire need for access to basic skills and opportunities, including English language, jobs and an understanding of British services and systems. This was having an increasingly negative impact on their children who had little access to formal education meaning they could be attracted to gangs or extremists. It was identified a need to formalise a support service, and so in 1989 JAN Trust was born.

The vision 30 years ago is one still widely shared by the charity today; to encourage, educate and empower women and mothers. The aim is to build their self-confidence and allow them to become independent and active citizens and take control of their own lives. It would enable marginalised individuals to integrate into society, and improve their lives going on to have a positive impact on their families and the wider community. All of this was achieved through the provision of education and expert advice tackling the multiple barriers and issues these BAMER women and mothers were facing.

Over the years JAN Trust has evolved to meet the growing demands of the community and is a beacon of hope for marginalised and isolated BAMER women and young people. Our work has expanded nationally, delivering projects such as Against FGM, Against Forced Marriages, SAFE workshops and Another Way Forward, as well as continuing to deliver our core work from our centre in Haringey. Moreover, JAN Trust is a truly global organisation, nurturing a community made up of women of all ages and from many diverse cultures, highlighted by the fact that our staff and users speak over 52 different languages. JAN Trust remains faithful to its grassroots, addressing local and national needs, bringing women and communities together and celebrating our success with those whom we exist to help.

Why is JAN Trust countering extremism?

After having narrowly escaped death during the London terrorist attack on 7th July 2005, Sajda Mughal OBE left her corporate background to become the CEO of JAN Trust. As the only known Muslim victim of these devastating attacks, Sajda has made it her life’s work to educate her community, especially women, about extremism and radicalisation. She is now a counter-extremism expert including roles such as being a specialist adviser to the Mayor of London on countering violent extremism and advising the organisation Internet Matters. Additionally, she is regularly asked to speak about her 7/7 experience and countering extremism at conferences, universities, colleges and schools both at home and internationally.