The Romani Cultural and Arts Company is excited and proud to announce that a 3 year funding grant of £263,078 has been received to lead on a ground-breaking community-based project to encourage Gypsies, Travellers and Roma to pull people together and encourage improved community cohesion post-covid.
We are very grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund for this significant investment in our community.
Our community is strong; our community can make a difference for themselves. Our communities in South East Wales are vibrant, full of energy and resilient. We believe that the community; with support, has the strength and skills to come together and improve their situation. We want to get our community working together with supporting agencies, using their strengths to make positive impacts on the things that matter to them the most.
Now more than ever, at the start of this new project, the risks of greater isolation and detachment from wider society are all the more significant due to the covid-19 crisis. This crisis will disproportionately impact on communities like site-based Gypsies and Travellers. Our project will reignite the community spirit after a very challenging period.
Our project will see 3 years worth of community workshops to build back from covid, to improve socialisation, to strengthen the community and improve connections with supporting agencies and mainstream society; whilst up-skilling the community in areas of their interest.
Isaac Blake says: “This is a great moment for Gypsies. Roma and Travellers of South East Wales. To have funding for 3 years is significant and means that we can mobilise our communities to make genuine, deep changes. We are so so grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund for this grant.”
Dr Siobhan Spencer MBE, Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group says: “Really good news from Wales, I was so extremely pleased to hear that the Romani Cultural Arts Company (An extremely hard working and successful Romany run group) have received 3 years funding, from The National Lottery Community Fund this is to enable the promotion of community cohesion post Covid and is a great opportunity for Gypsies , Roma and Travellers in Southeast Wales to create lasting change. We wish them kushti bok in their endeavours.”
Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt, Welsh Government said: “We are committed to supporting Gypsies, Travellers and Roma people settle into their communities and this funding will assist them in their efforts to do so. These workshops will be invaluable to help them build positive relationships with those around them and overcome the challenges of loneliness, up-skilling and socialisation.”