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Gypsy, Roma and Traveller histories and health
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Michelle Gavin and Billie Dolling from Friends, Families and Travellers discuss how the Public Engagement Network and Gypsy, Roma Traveller Month 2022 have helped amplify the voices of the communities they support
Who are Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT)?
Founded 30 years ago as a grassroots support group, Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) is a registered charity which supports all Roma, Gypsy and Traveller people in England, regardless of ethnicity or background.
FFT work to end inequalities, racism and discrimination against Roma, Gypsy and Traveller people and to protect the right to pursue a nomadic way of life. They run assertive outreach projects, support people’s immediate needs and run community-based programmes in education, culture and wellbeing.
What does your work in health and social care involve?
As a member of the Public Engagement Network (PEN), we relay how Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people experience health and social care services and raise issues at PEN focus groups. Most of the people we represent haven’t heard of the CQC before, so engaging with Choice Support is helping to highlight CQCs role and capture the voices of the people we support.
In addition, we carry out research to investigate and expose unfair treatment against Gypsies and Travellers in the health and social care system. We amplify their voices in service planning through the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance, where we work in a consortium with Roma Support Group., and as Secretariat of the APPG for Gypsies, Travellers and Roma.
An accredited training centre for the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH), we teach Levels 1 and 2 in Understanding Health Improvement and Health Awareness. We’ve trained hundreds of people and organisations to work with their local communities. Our Youth Health Champions Programme boosts youth education in health and their knowledge then cascades out to their friends, families and wider networks.
Each June is Gypsy, Traveller and Roma History Month. What is this and why is it so important?
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month (GRTHM) is an opportunity to celebrate, educate and raise awareness of the rich and diverse history of the communities we represent.
Current legislation, prejudice and barriers faced by Gypsy Travellers today follows on from a long history of persecution. The 1530 ‘Egyptians Act’ made it a crime to be a Gypsy in this country. Romany Gypsies were exiled, and no Gypsies were allowed in. Under Mary I, if you were over age 14 and found to be a Gypsy or cavorting with a Gypsy, you would be executed. Yet these histories are largely absent from classrooms, books and museums.
Because this year’s theme this was ‘What Makes a Home’, we tailored our events and training to local authorities and housing associations. We provided 22 training sessions in the one month alone. This meant we could make a practical impact in terms of housing provision for the Gypsy Traveller community.
