We exist to ensure that Gypsy, Roma & Traveller communities, their children and young people live in a more open, tolerant society where they are accepted. We believe that the people best-placed to effect change for Gypsies, Roma & Travellers are Gypsies, Roma & Travellers. We are 100% Gypsy, Roma & Traveller led and managed.
We are unique.
We make a difference.
We are proud of our heritage and roots. All our staff are from the Gypsy, Roma or Traveller communities; many having lived on caravan sites throughout the UK. This is important for us. We believe that our community has the ability and strength to have their rich culture and heritage acknowledged whilst being accepted by the mainstream. The usual ‘trust’ barrier that blocks other agencies gaining access to site-based communities is not an issue for us. We are the community, we are trusted as our community knows we only have their interests at heart. With our unrivalled connections with the Gypsy, Roma & Traveller communities we are able to support, encourage and facilitate consultation and discussion directly with and even led by the GRT community.
We have a ground-breaking project management process. We take outstanding, life-changing arts and crafts workshops directly onto caravan sites for the social, emotional and educational benefit of Gypsy & Traveller children and young people. Our aim is to ensure that children and young people experience their own culture and heritage in a hands-on way while developing social engagement, self-esteem and personal confidence levels. We ensure that children and young people mix and socialise in ways that other agencies cannot support. We are proud of the positive changes we see as a result of our work.
We organise and facilitate many events, locally and nationally. We work in partnership with several agencies and statutory bodies. More importantly, we work very closely with the Gypsy, Roma & Traveller communities themselves to harness their great spirit and pride for their own culture and heritage. Our outstanding project management processes lead to a variety of national activities that build up to the special Gala Event, usually held in the summer months. We are very proud of our community for their vibrant, colourful contributions, for their confidence and their showmanship.
We organise and facilitate symposiums and conference events to encourage open, honest debate about the current and pressing issues affecting our community. Our network of academics, politicians, public service leaders and civil servants is unrivalled and we always ensure a lively discussion. We believe these events should be for Gypsies, Roma & Travellers, with Gypsies, Roma & Travellers. Therefore, we always ensure a good number of community members are present. This leads to a healthy degree of challenge for experts, politicians and civil servants and puts them on the spot to deliver on promises and the points they make.
We also organise and facilitate local, regional and national training events about Gypsy, Roma & Traveller issues and how to successfully engage with the communities. Our unrivalled network of experts and Community Champions means that we can offer a unique experience to delegates. Delegates get to hear from the very community they seek to learn about. Delegates leave our training events feeling that they have benefitted; not only, from an expert view, but more importantly, from a community view of the issues facing people and how best to engage and improve the situation. We are proud of our network and our Community Champions.
We are proud to put our community first in everything we do. We believe our community are best-placed to speak out for themselves and work for a more inclusive, open, tolerant society where Gypsies, Roma & Travellers are shown the dignity and respect, thousands of years of rich heritage and culture deserves. We have developed a network of Community Champions who are the voice of their community. They are confident, strong individuals who are from the Gypsy, Roma & Traveller communities they serve; not from detached agencies or remote statutory bodies who cannot truly understand our needs and aspirations. Our deep-rooted bonds and empathy with our community is what makes us unique and so successful at all we do.
We showcase and commission the very best of Gypsy, Roma & Traveller artists. Our ground-breaking exhibitions are open to the wider public and allow everyone to experience the rich, vibrant talent and artistic endeavour threaded throughout our amazing community.
We work with the very best to produce unique, original pieces of work that portray and embody the Gypsy, Roma & Traveller communities and challenge perceptions and thinking. Our aim is to break down the barriers to a more open, tolerant society so that more and more people from the mainstream are educated in the culture and heritage of Gypsies, Roma & Travellers. All our exhibitions see the artists delivering workshops for schools and young people. We aspire for all our events to be accessible to the widest audience possible.
We are the community we serve.
This is why we make such a difference.