Gypsy, Roma and Travellers

Gypsy, Roma and Travellers

Here at HDN we’re delighted to be hosting Friends, Families and Travellers’ Inclusive Services Training at the end of this month, led by FFT’s Michelle Gavin, as we shine a light on the plight of the most discriminated against group in the UK.

Gypsies, Romas and Travellers are being left further behind in society because they face more and exclusive barriers in accessing vital public services. The fact that the community is often socially invisible makes it all too easy to sweep the issues of Travellers under the carpet, and the stigma and stereotyping is consistently worse than for any other group. Many sections of society are striving for genuine equality but the socio-economic deprivation of Gypsies and Romas is deep rooted and difficult to tackle, not least because there is a lack of evidence, which makes it harder to assess the range of disadvantages this group suffers.

What we do know is that the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller ethic group has a younger age profile than the national average in the UK. People aged under 18 make up over a third of the Gypsy population, compared to the national average of around 20 per cent. School achievement is significantly lower in this sector where children show slower development in early years, at between 20 and 30 per cent compared with over 60 per cent of other White children, and the gap is widening.

Adults in the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller group find barriers to access in public services, in health, education and welfare on a daily basis, the subject of discrimination every way they turn. Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers are protected against race discrimination under the Equality Act, even if they move into settled accommodation.

The UK charity, Friends, Familes and Charities work to end racism and discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and to protect the right to live a nomadic way of life. The charity supports families with the issues which matter most to them, concentrating on the four areas of health, hate, education and accommodation.

Michelle, our Inclusion Services Training has previously run FFT’s Outreach and Helpline Programmes and she is passionate abut working with families at grass roots levels and helps to amplify their voices in search of sustainable improvement of accommodation and health outcomes. Her session will help us to gain a better understanding of the cultures, traditions and history of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and the barriers they face when accessing public services as well as justice in the legal world. We will be better equipped to provide more inclusive services to Traveller and nomadic people and learn more of their ambitions and hopes in life for them and future generations to come.

Inclusivity is all about putting yourself in somebody else’s shoes. We all try to understand and respect the differences between groups in society, and ensue that everybody is included when we have a common cause or opportunity.

To join us and Michelle for the Inclusion Services Training click here. It will be great to see you all.https://hdnstage.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/Gypsy-Traveller.jpg