Young Gypsies and Travellers from North and South Wales participated in a film created by Travelling Ahead as part of the recent launch of the Welsh Government’s Tackling Hate Crime framework.

The Framework covers hate crime of all kinds including race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and age. Age was added following a consultation in which Welsh Government engaged with more than 400 people. They strongly highlighted how  children and young people are experiencing and being targeted for hate crime.

The Framework also includes tackling cyber and far right hate.

The film documents the young people’s perceptions of hate crime and their ideas on how organisations could help young people feel safer and more confident in reporting hate crimes committed against them and their communities.

The film will form the basis of a young people led training resource for the police and other services whose job is to deal effectively with hate crime. The film will also be used as evidence in support of the Traveller Movement’s judicial review to Ofcom on the damage done by Channel 4’s Big Fat Gypsy Wedding series.

To view the film, please click the large image above, or click HERE

To view and download  the framework please click HERE

To view and download the young person friendly version, please click HERE

For more information on Travelling Ahead and it's work with young Gypsies and Travellers please contact Trudy Aspinwall, Programme Officer on T.Aspinwall@savethechildren.org.uk or telephone 02920 396838

Travelling Ahead has been awarded funding from Children in Need to undertake an 11 month research project into the educational needs of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller young people across Wales.

The ‘Good Practice in Education’ Project will be designed and delivered by a young people’s reference group. Young people will be trained and supported in their research to talk to their peers and to service providers, and make recommendations to improve the approach to supporting and engaging them in education.

This is an exciting new direction for Travelling Ahead and we are looking forward to engaging with these groups of young people to give them a unique opportunity to develop a stronger voice, gain knowledge and skills and influence the models of educational support available to them across Wales.

If you would like to be involved, or to find out more about the project, please contact Trudy or Beckie on travellingahead@savethechildren.org.uk or call 02920 396838 

On May 14th the All Party Parliamentary Group for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers hosted the 'Bigger Fatter Debate' organised by the Traveller Movement and Travellers' Times. The event highlighted the media treatment of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers.

There was standing room only at the Thatcher Room, Portcullis House, in Westminster, as speaker after speaker delivered powerful evidence about the racism and discrimination meted out by the press, Channel 4's Big Fat Gypsy Wedding programme makers were amongst the audience as  Mike Doherty of the Traveller Movement, Damian le Bas, Editor of Travellers Times,  Shay Clipson and Brigid Quilligan Director of the Irish Traveller Movement all spoke about the terrible impact on children and families around the UK and the need to use the law to challenge racism alongside empowering community members to make their own media.

Traveller Movement Trustee David Enright, who is representing the Traveller Movement in the judicial review against the broadcasting regulator Ofcom and their investigation of complaints about the Channel 4 series Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, was filmed speaking at the panel. To view the clip, please click HERE.

How you can get involved

Adults: Travellers Times and the Rural Media Company are offering training to Gypsies, Roma and Travellers to get media savvy and develop their own positive news media.  Email lucym@ruralmedia.co.uk to find out more.

Young people:Travelling Ahead are also looking for young people to be part of our Young Reporters project. To join or find out more, please contact Beckie on 02920 396838 or email RE.Jordan@savethechildren.org.uk

The Welsh Government would like your views to help write a guide for health care workers so that they provide better services for Gypsies and Travellers in Wales - these will be sent out later in 2014.

The Travelling to a Better Future document  makes it clear that health services should ask  Gypsies and  Travellers how to make health services easier to use and more effective.  A consultation will take place over the summer through visits to communities and projects  and Travelling Ahead are making sure children and young people's views are being fed in.

If you'd  like to take part contact us at Travelling Ahead or you can contact Welsh Government direct: Sarah Austin who is Gypsy Traveller Health Policy Lead on Sarah.Austin@wales.gsi.gov.uk and 029 20823899

This years film documenting the fun and hardwork of the young people who attended the 6th annual National Forum in Landrindod Wells in March is nearly finished! With help from The Rural Media Company and Travellers' Times, the film will be available soon on our website and YouTube channel!

To watch more films from Travelling Ahead, you can view them on our Vimeo channel.

To see what went on at last years Forum meeting, you can watch the film HERE.

The first South West Regional  Forum meeting on the 4th July, with the first South East Regional Forum taking place on the 10th July. Reports on these meetings will be in our next newsletter.

To find out more about the forums, please contact Trudy Aspinwall, on 02920 803267 or email T.Aspinwall@savethechildren.org.uk