About Us

Gypsies and Travellers

Equality South West is committed to equality for all. This includes those that have been forced through generations of discrimination and misunderstanding to the fringes of our society. Gypsies and Travellers are some of the most excluded communities in the South West. Years of controlling and divisive laws and policy created by central and local Government, teamed with discrimination and racism in all aspects of life has created a situation where Gypsy and Traveller culture is criminalised and families are left homeless and without appropriate access to services.

While Gypsies and Traveller’s are united by their travelling lifestyles each community within this racial classification has its own distinct culture. Romani and Roma Gypsies and Irish Travellers are all recognised ethnic minorities with distinct traditions around things such as cleanliness and gender. Other groups are recognised as Travellers through their patterns of movement and the requirements they have for specific accommodation, but they too have their own history and aspirations for the future.

The different groups resident in the South West include:

  • Circus families
  • Fairground and Showmen
  • Irish Travellers
  • New Travellers
  • Romani and Roma Gypsies

‘Traveller’ is a generic term defining diverse cultural and ethnic communities who have a similar, essentially mobile way of life. Most Traveller families have strong family and social networks (whether in housing or in caravans), live within close-knit communities, and often travel as such.

This is a key feature of the traditional way of life that has an impact on planning for their accommodation locally.

Some facts:

  • Gypsies and Travellers are the most at risk in the education system. Gypsy and Traveller children particularly have poor school attendance, low educational attainment and high levels of illiteracy. (report by Ofsted ‘Raising the Attainment of Minority Ethnic Pupils’ 1999)
  • Gypsies and Travellers experience poor levels of health, even compared with other marginalised groups, high rates of infant mortality, and difficulties in accessing healthcare. (The Health Status of Gypsies & Travellers in England. Report of Department of Health Inequalities in Health Research Initiative by the university of Sheffield 2004) This report is available here: Sheffield Report (PDF)
  • The lack of accommodation has been recognised as underpinning many of the inequalities faced by Gypsies and Travellers (EHRC report Inequalities experienced by Gypsy and Traveller Communities: A review 2009) This report is available here: EHRC Report (PDF)

ESW see the lack of suitable and secure accommodation as key to unlocking the potential of Gypsies and Travellers across the South West and we lobby hard on this issue through our national, regional and local Government contacts as well as developing regular press releases reminding local authorities of their responsibilities to work with Gypsies and Travellers to ensure the development of sites of all kinds across the region.

ESW works with Gypsies and Travellers, community groups, support organisations and statutory bodies to challenge the myths around Gypsy and Traveller lifestyles and culture. ESW have produced a regional contact list of people and organisations working with Gypsies and Travellers across the region and this can be accessed here: Gypsy and Traveller Contacts. If you wish to be added to this list please contact Diana Blake by e-mailing: Diana.Blake@equalitysouthwest.org.uk

All is not lost though! There are notable examples of good practice in promoting equality for Gypsies and Travellers. For example, the work of Devon Racial Equality Council, the South West Romani Gypsy Advisory Group, Traveller Space Cornwall and Bristol City Council – contact details and links to their work can be found to the left of this page. To let us know about your good practice and to feature on our website please contact Diana Black by e-mailing: diana.blake@equalitysouthwest.org.uk

ESW believe that a key role for us as a regional organisation is to identify and share examples of good practice from within and outside the South West across our region. We want to encourage organisations to support on-going and new work to promote equality and human rights for Gypsies and Travellers.

ESW also recognise that there is a issue of funding for work supporting Gypsies and Travellers and we are keen to identify opportunities for funding and work with partners to take projects forward.

Other work that ESW has been involved in and is keen to continue is support and administration of regional activities for Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month, hosting stands at regional Gypsy and Travellers fairs such as Stow and Bridgwater and hosting regional policy events whenever we can and funding is available to support this activity.

To get involved with any of the work ESW does around Gypsies and Travellers please contact Katie Pratt by e-mailing: katie.pratt@equalitysouthwest.org.uk

Links to follow from the ESW E:Bulletin

Job Advert

Friends, Families and Travellers are looking for a Community Development Worker - for further details on this post please see: FFT - Community Development Worker (Word)