I'm grateful to Lloyd Dorfman for that very kind introduction and to Gerald Ronson and Dame Gail for inviting me to join you again this evening. It's great to be back.

And it's great to be able to show my support again for Community Security Trust and the brilliant work you do. On behalf of everyone here let me thank Richard Benson and all the staff and volunteers who work so hard together with the police and the wider community to protect the Jewish people and to make this charity as successful as it is today.

I believe CST is a model for all our communities in Britain. So much of what you do epitomises what I'm getting at when I talk about the Big Society. You don't say "just leave it to the government, it's not my responsibility", you say "I want to play my part; I want to do my bit."

Whether it's standing up for your community which was the theme of last year's dinner. Or social action, the theme of this year's dinner, I find it incredibly impressive that, day in and day out not just a handful of people but three thousand CST volunteers work with the police, local and national government, and other religious and minority communities to fight hate crime and increase the safety and security of our communities.

SECURITY

It shames our country that our Jewish schools should need protection. But they do.