Potato: Vodafone's Zoteria

New research by Vodafone found that 68% of LGBTQ+ respondents had been victims of hate crime in the last year. Motivated by this shocking statistic - and the fact that three-quarters didn’t report it – Vodafone Foundation, in partnership with Stonewall and Galop, wanted to develop an app to provide an easy and effective way to report abusive incidents and offer support.

After in-depth research to hear the community’s needs, Potato designed a mobile app that’s fast, reassuring and instantly connects victims with the best support available, empowering members of the community to safely report hate crime.

Zoteria will also be able to provide a far more accurate view of the extent of hate crimes across the UK. Anonymised data will be available to local authorities so they can better understand the issue within their region and put in place strategies to address it.

Data will also help highlight the issues faced by LGBTQ+ people from ethnic minorities, with recent UK studies suggesting this group faces specific, intersectional barriers to equality.

The app provides access to other vital support services, including LGBTQ+ advice, mental health and sexual health services, and information on local LGBTQ+ events to help people stay connected with their local communities.