The Daily Mirror is again repeating its crucial and powerful anti-racism HOPE NOT HATE campaign which will visit many of the principle cities around the country.Now in its third year the bus tour - organised in collaboration with anti-fascist group Searchlight - will leave London on May 15th before ending over two weeks later in Stoke-on-Trent on the 31st May.
The Hope Not Hate open-top double-decker bus will carry the same message as previous years - that modern Britain is a place of tolerance and diversity, a place where people of many different races and religions live and work together peacefully.
In each destination - which includes Barking, Leicester, Coventry, Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Salford, Leigh, St Helen's, Crosby, Sedgefield, Bishops Auckland, Stoke-on-Trent and Liverpool - key events will take place with dignitaries and celebrities turning up to support the campaign and speak out against racism.
And this year, the bus will have a grand finale - joining the Love Music Hate Racism at Stoke City Football Club's Britannia stadium for a special anti-racism festival.
Acts already confirmed include current chart-toppers N-Dubz, Kelly Rowland, The New Beautiful South, Beverley Knight, Reverend & The Makers, Jerry Dammers from the Specials, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, The Beat, Kano, Roll Deep and Bashy.
Celebrity supporters of our long-running Hope Not Hate campaign include Sir Alan Sugar, John Terry, Dame Kelly Holmes, Amir Khan, Jamie Oliver, Sir Richard Branson, Frank Lampard, Mel B, and the casts of Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Emmerdale.
Equally important is the support of grassroots communities across England and Scotland.
Richard Wallace, Editor of the Daily Mirror, said: "We are proud to again be working alongside Searchlight on this significant and hugely important campaign.
"It is vital that this country remains a place where hope and harmony triumph over hate and division. Britain's fair, equal, multi-cultural society is one of our greatest assets and must be celebrated and protected".
Nick Lowles, from Searchlight added: "Searchlight is delighted to be working with the Daily Mirror once more on our third Hope not Hate tour of Britain by vintage bus. Every year, the tour focuses on all the advantages of being a vibrant, multicultural country and this year will be no exception.
"We hope as many people - celebrities, ordinary people, voters - will join us along the route as possible."
This year's campaign will receive extensive coverage in the Daily Mirror, with special eight page supplements pre and post the tour.
In addition the Mirror - both in paper and online - will give progress reports every day of where the bus is and what it's been up to.
There will be a documentary crew in tow and a daily three-minute film will appear at: www.mirror.co.uk/hopenothate.
