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Travelling Ahead –
Getting the Show on the Road
Welcome
•
Introductions
•
Aims & Objectives
•
Who are Gypsies and Travellers?
•
A picture of inequality in Wales
•
The Travelling Ahead project
•
Barriers to inclusion and engagement
•
Solutions and action planning
•
Evaluation
Aims & Objectives
- To foster a common understanding across all levels of local
authorities, and the partners that work with them, about the barriers
faced by young Gypsies and Travellers in accessing their services.
- To identify possible solutions to these barriers and suggest ways
forward for the benefit of young Gypsies and Travellers and the
representation of young people in general.
- To pledge to improve services for this minority to ensure that they
can become active and engaged members of society.
Who says this is important?
This work is funded by BBC Children in Need and the Welsh
Assembly Government to improve the engagement of young
Gypsies and Travellers across Wales in decisions that affect them.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
guarantees unalienable rights to all children under 18, which
underpins the Welsh Assembly’s commitment to young Gypsies and
Travellers.
The Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Keith Towler, has also
announced that the rights of young Gypsies and Travellers will be
one of the priorities his office focuses on during 2011 and 2012.
Trevor Phillips, the head of the Equality and Human Rights
Commission (EHRC), has labelled the discrimination aimed at
Gypsies and Travellers to be the ‘last acceptable form of racism’
and compared the situation to the segregation faced by black people
in 1960s Deep South America.
Why Travelling Ahead exists
Race Relations Act (1976)
race,
- Nobody should be discriminated against or harassed because of
colour, nationality or ethnic origin.
their
Race Relations Act amendment (2000)
- Institutions should be proactive in eliminating unlawful racial discrimination,
promoting equality of opportunity, and promoting good race relations
between people of different racial groups.
Equality Act (2010)
- Advance equality of opportunity between people from different
groups.
- Replaces existing equalities duties on disability, gender and race.
Gypsies recognised ethnic group (1989, Commission for Racial Equality v
Dutton)
Irish Travellers recognised ethnic group (2000, O’Leary v Allied Domecq)
Who are the Gypsies?
• Gypsies (English, Welsh or Scottish)
• Rom / Roma
• Irish Travellers
• Show-people
• ‘New Age’ Travellers
• ‘Bargees’ and other water dwelling people
Britain and Gypsies: A potted history
The Mandla Criteria
Equal Opportunities –
What does it really mean?
Equality Act 2010, guidance:
“Complying with the general duty may involve treating some
people better than others, as far as this is allowed by
discrimination law. For example, it may involve making use of
an exception or the positive action provisions in order to
provide a service in a way which is appropriate for a particular
group.”
Equal opportunities does not
necessarily mean the same treatment
for all.
The Travelling Ahead Project
The Travelling Ahead project aims to improve outcomes for Gypsy and Traveller
children and young people by enabling young Gypsies and Travellers throughout Wales
to represent themselves to affect change and positively influence policy and service
development and practice at a community, local authority and national level.
Save the Children works with partners around Wales to ensure that we’re able to meet
the needs of the young people we seek to help.
Why specifically Gypsy Travellers?
One in five young Gypsy
Travellers don’t make it
to secondary school
They are described as the
“most at risk” group in the
education system by Ofsted
Only 9% of Gypsy
Travellers achieve 5
good A*-C GCSEs
compared to the average
of 51% in the wider
population
They have the highest infant
mortality rate of any group
in society
They are described as the
“most at risk” group in the
health system by the British
Medical Association
Young Gypsy Travellers are
marginalised and alienated by a
lack of access to services and
decision-making processes
Myths & Facts
“Gypsies don’t pay Tax”
“Gypsies refuse to work”
“Gypsies never obey planning laws”
“Gypsies are dirty!”
“Gypsies have never contributed anything to society”
“Gypsies don’t go to school”
“Gypsies just live off benefits”
Myths & Facts
• ‘Plot Charge’, Utility Rates, Income Tax, VAT, Road Tax
• Traditionally labourers but mechanisation of agriculture/industry has put this under
threat. Most women in the community act as housewives and therefore men must
work hard to provide for the family.
• Catch-22. Gypsy planning applications are refused 90% of the time compared to
non-Gypsy applications being refused 20% of the time. Gypsies suffer from
NIMBYism and are constantly moved on, even if they own the land.
• Mahrime / Mokadi and cleanliness.
• Many well-known Gypsies and Flamenco dancing - Wall of Fame
• Gypsy children often drop out of school due to a desire to preserve culture, avoid
loss of morals through drug abuse / sexual exposure, bullying, lack of access due to
travelling etc.
• Travelling lifestyle prevents many getting benefits they’re entitled to receive as they
don’t have fixed address long enough and do not receive support to make claims.
They Said What?!
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Source: ‘Gypsies and Travellers: Moving Forward’, The Gypsy Media Company and Surrey Police
Case Studies
Johnny Delaney
Firle bonfire
A Picture of Inequalities in
Wales...
The ‘UNCRC’ and the Concluding
Observations
The UNCRC guarantees rights for all young people, including:
Article 1: Everyone under 18 has all the rights of the convention.
Article 7: All children have the right to a nationality.
Article 8: Governments should respect children’s right to a nationality
and family ties.
Article 30: Children have the right to learn and use the language and
customs of their family, whether these are shared by the majority of the
people or not.
United Nations ‘Concluding Observations’ (2008):
• Specific mention of young Gypsies and Travellers
• Recommends government to increase awareness-raising and, if
necessary, affirmative action for the benefit of Gypsy and Traveller
children
• Recommends the reintroduction of statutory duty on local
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authorities to provide safe and adequate sites for Gypsies and
Accommodation Issues
Accommodation Issues
• The Catch 22:
- Authorised site – full or unavailable.
- Living by the roadside or abandoning heritage in
housing.
- Buy own land – No planning permission!
- Moved on – where?
• Authorised site or on the move: cost-benefit analysis.
• Caravan Sites Act 1968 / Criminal Justice and Public
Order Act 1994 / New requirements?
Education Issues
What we’re teaching our children...
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Education Issues
• Low attendance caused by no buy-in from parents –
why? They were bullied at school, fatalism, no trust, opposed to moral
as if
values, traditional work roles. Bullying of children not dealt with,
retaliation leads to GT expelled. Literacy issues. Children treated
SEN but just can’t read or are struggling.
• Traveller Edu. Services struggle due to staffing and
finances
• Getting moved on severs link to education
• Travelling lifestyle and the school roll
• Elective Home Education
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Health Issues
Health study findings (Parry & Van Cleemput)
Health Vox Pops with Gypsies and Travellers
• Authorised sites v. Roadside health
• Access to GPs
• Location of authorised sites
• Life expectancy / Infant mortality
• Lack of statistics
Maslow – Hierarchy of Needs
What is Travelling Ahead?
Travelling Ahead
Local Youth
Forums
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Travelling Ahead
Website
National Youth
Forum
Training
Local Youth Forums
The project aims to develop Gypsy Traveller youth forums in Local Authorities
around Wales. These forums are intended to address the lack of Gypsy Traveller
involvement in decision-making processes and empower young people to claim
their rights.
There are currently 9 Local Authorities with Gypsy and Traveller youth forums –
running 11 different projects. Each of these forums will focus on their own issues
but there are familiar themes across the country. We expect to have supported 24
projects by April 2012.
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A word from those who have helped develop the project so
far...
“I am glad that because of this project
thousands of young Gypsy/ Travellers from
across Wales will be aware of their rights,
and have a voice. This project helps
towards an equal community in Wales.”
“I have really enjoyed taking part in this
project as it has made me feel that my
opinion counts and I can have a say in
issues that affect me.”
Tammy Roberts, 17, from Pembrokeshire
Sophie Price, 18, from Cardiff
“Most Gypsies don’t know their rights and this
website is a good way of explaining them and
giving us advice on where we can go to
discuss issues that affect us. I’m looking
forward to using the website and sharing
photos and news to celebrate our culture.”
Sam Janes, 14, from Torfaen
National Gypsy Youth Forum
The Travelling Ahead project will support the development of Gypsy Traveller youth forums
throughout Wales in an attempt to achieve positive local changes. We will also develop a National
youth forum which will draw together representatives and issues from all the local forums and
provide a nationwide voice for young Gypsy Travellers.
Young Gypsy Travellers may face local issues, such as ‘No Gypsy’ signs in shops or localised
vandalism and bullying, but they also encounter issues that are nationwide. These can include media
portrayal, education policy, housing law, issues resulting from a transitory lifestyle, and problems
with hate crime. The National forum will attempt to address these issues and more through speaking
with a unified voice for young Gypsies and Travellers.
Travellingahead.org.uk
The Travelling Ahead website was developed to:
- Help young people and professionals with the tools they need to access the help and support that
Gypsy Travellers are entitled to receive.
- Draw together the fantastic work done by young Gypsies and Travellers and those working with them
in local forums across Wales.
- Support the development of a national young Gypsy Traveller forum for Wales.
What can we do with the
website?
The website is designed to be used by both young
Gypsies and Travellers and professionals working
with the community. To meet this dual purpose the
website has two main sections:
•
•
‘Our Site’
The Professional Toolkit
Our Site
• Chat Forum
• ‘Our Voice’
• Local Forums
• Help & Support
• Picture Gallery
• Games
• Events
• History and Culture
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Professional Toolkit
• Young Gypsy and Traveller rights in a Welsh context
• Examples of good practice from across Wales
• Information on how to setup a local forum
• Apply for a small grant of up to £1500
• Information about children’s participation and the UNCRC
• Resource library
• Background to the Travelling Ahead project
• History & Culture
• Contact Directory
• Training opportunities
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Next Steps...
• Feed youth forum views into mainstream decision-making
structures e.g. Funky Dragon / local authority youth forums /
children and young people’s partnerships
• Support young Gypsies and Travellers to engage in
services and processes
• Support professionals to empower young Gypsies and
Travellers through training sessions.
Barriers to young Gypsies & Travellers
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Action Planning
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Thank you for listening
Please visit the website at www.travellingahead.org.uk
You can contact me on (029) 20396838 or via e-mail at:
[email protected]
[email protected]