Welcome to the June edition of Spotlight

Welcome to your July Spotlight! Read on to find out about our work over the last month and remember to follow us on social media for regular updates. X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok

In the Spotlight

Welcome from the CEO

Dear friends and colleagues,

Welcome to our latest newsletter.

This past month has brought both progress and painful reminders of how much work still lies ahead. The devastating fire at Redbourn Traveller site and the looming threat of mass evictions in at Lynton Close Traveller site Brent, London have laid bare the consequences of political inaction, weak policy and planning, and the absence of a properly funded national strategy for Traveller accommodation. These are not isolated incidents; they are the result of systemic policy failure.

At the Traveller Movement, we are redoubling our calls for urgent action. We are demanding leadership from those in power, including Shadow Secretary of State Angela Rayner, to implement a moratorium on evictions and commit to a rights-based national accommodation plan for Romani (Gypsy), Roma, and Irish Traveller communities. Anything less will continue to put lives at risk.

Amid these challenges, our work continues to deliver impact. In this issue, you’ll read about a major policy win in criminal justice, a solutions-focused follow-up to our coercive exclusions report, and the vital mental health and women’s empowerment work we’re delivering on the ground. These are examples of what’s possible when communities lead, and policy responds.

But we can’t do it alone. Sustainable funding remains a critical issue, particularly for our advice and casework services, which are now restricted to urgent cases only due to capacity constraints. We are actively seeking partners and supporters to help us bridge this gap.

Finally, as part of our Dignity Campaign, we’ll soon be launching a new short film that captures the real human cost of the housing crisis. Made with and by residents of an Irish Traveller site in London, this film is a call to action for justice, inclusion, and dignity.

Warm regards,

Yvonne

CEO, Traveller Movement

Key Updates

TM Summer BBQ and Networking Event - you're invited!

You are invited to the TM Summer BBQ and Networking Event.

Come along to our Summer BBQ and Networking Event and discover what the Traveller Movement has to offer!

This is a great opportunity to meet our team, connect with others in the community, and learn more about the services and support available through TM.

You’ll also get the chance to see our offices, hear about the work we do, and enjoy some delicious food in a relaxed and friendly setting.

Whether you're already familiar with us or just curious to find out more, we’d love to welcome you.

Everyone is welcome – bring a friend!

Let us know you are coming along by registering here

Education Policy Update

This month, Baroness Janet Whitaker tabled a series of key amendments to the

The Traveller Movement’s Education Policy Team continues to lead national efforts to challenge and dismantle systemic inequalities faced by Romani Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children in education. Building on the momentum generated by our landmark Coercive Exclusions report, we are now entering a critical phase of policy development with the forthcoming release of a comprehensive follow-up report.

This next publication shifts the policy narrative from diagnosis to reform, moving beyond identifying the structural drivers of school exclusion toward the delivery of actionable, evidence-based interventions. Our forthcoming report will outline practical recommendations for central government, local authorities, Ofsted, and school leaders aimed at embedding inclusive practices, enhancing accountability, and ensuring the right to education is upheld for all pupils.

We will be engaging key stakeholders across the education sector to support the implementation of these recommendations, and to build momentum for long-overdue systemic change. We encourage all partners, advocates, and policymakers to stay connected as we prepare to launch this important piece of work.

Criminal Justice Policy Update

We are pleased to see a significant step forward in our collective ongoing advocacy and campaigning for equality and transparency in the criminal justice system. Following sustained pressure, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has formally committed to the ethnic monitoring of Roma individuals in prison custody across England and Wales.

This landmark policy change addresses a long-standing gap in data collection that has rendered Roma people effectively invisible within the justice system. Without disaggregated data, it is impossible to monitor outcomes, challenge discriminatory practices, or tailor services to meet the needs of specific communities. This breakthrough ensures that Roma people will, for the first time, be properly recognised in official prison statistics paving the way for more equitable treatment and culturally appropriate support.

The Traveller Movement together with sector colleague's will continue to advocate for robust implementation of this policy, including appropriate staff training and oversight mechanisms. We remain committed to securing racial equity and culturally competent provision for all ethnic minority groups within the justice system.

Housing Justice & National Policy Failures: A Crisis Ignored

The Traveller Movement is deeply alarmed by the recent fire at the Redbourn Traveller site in Hertfordshire, which swept through the site, destroying homes and traumatising already vulnerable families. This site is home to many Irish Traveller families who are part of the local community and there for decades, some of those affected are close kin to the Traveller Movement team, friends and colleagues. This devastating incident is not an isolated tragedy; it is the predictable consequence of long-term policy neglect and systemic failure at both local and national levels.

Romani Gypsies and Irish Travellers, people continue to be denied safe, legal, and dignified places to live. Despite years of advocacy and repeated warnings from experts, charities, and parliamentary committees, successive governments have failed to implement a coordinated, fully resourced national strategy for Traveller accommodation.

Local authorities remain under little to no pressure to meet their statutory duties. Accommodation Needs Assessments are routinely flawed or incomplete. There is no robust oversight, no penalties for inaction, and no serious investment in inclusive, long-term solutions. Meanwhile, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 has only deepened the crisis, criminalising families who have nowhere else to go.

We are also gravely concerned by reports of a planned mass eviction of up to 70 families from Lynton Close Travellers site Brent London

(which is home to some of us)

where

overcrowding and serious fire safety risks have been ignored for far too long. This is not just a housing issue, it is a safeguarding failure. If urgent action is not taken, it is only a matter of time before lives are lost. We are staring down the barrel of a preventable disaster.

This is a structural failure of government.

We are calling for an immediate national moratorium on Traveller evictions, particularly where no viable alternative accommodation exists, and where enforcement risks endangering health, safety, or family life. Ongoing evictions without solutions are unjust, unsafe, and unsustainable.

We urgently call on Angela Rayner, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to go beyond rhetorical support and take decisive action. We urge Labour to:

Introduce a national moratorium on Traveller evictions until adequate alternative accommodation is available.

Commit to a fully funded national Traveller accommodation strategy, with measurable targets, timelines, and enforcement mechanisms.

Reform the Accommodation Needs Assessment process, ensuring accuracy, accountability, and independent oversight.

Reverse the criminalising impact of the PCSC Act 2022 and restore civil routes to negotiation and resolution.

Invest in the development of public and private sites that are safe, sustainable, and designed in consultation with communities.

Ensure local authority compliance with their Equality Act duties and planning obligations.

Considering these urgent issues, we are also calling for the establishment of a cross-sector Task Force or Advisory Group focused on Traveller accommodation and safety standards. This group should include:

Representatives from government departments (DLUHC, DfE, DHSC)

Traveller-led organisations and community advocates

Housing and planning experts

Local authority representatives

Fire safety and safeguarding professionals

The purpose would be to coordinate national efforts, track local authority compliance, and advise on immediate and long-term reforms

As part of our Dignity Campaign, we will soon launch a powerful new short film made by and with residents of an Irish Traveller site in London. This deeply personal and political film captures the lived reality of families left behind by policy failure. It will premiere in early autumn stay tuned for details and help us amplify the call for housing justice.

We have written directly to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to demand immediate government intervention, to demonstrate political will, and commit to ending decades of inaction.

The time for piecemeal responses is over. Stop evictions, introduce a moratorium. Deliver housing justice with dignity for all.

See our letter to Angela Rayner here

Equalities and Social Justice Unit (ESJU) - Service update and Strategic Focus

Our Equalities and Social Justice Unit continues to experience high levels of demand for advocacy and support, particularly in areas related to educational access, institutional discrimination, and rights-based interventions. However, due to current funding constraints, our Community Advocacy Casework Service will now be limited to

urgent and high-priority cases only.

We remain committed to restoring our full casework capacity and are actively seeking renewed investment to ensure that Romani (Gypsy), Roma, and Irish Traveller individuals continue to receive the advocacy and legal literacy support they need and deserve.

📩 To contact our caseworker: Email: esju@travellermovement.org.uk or Phone: 07908 433 413

💼 Funders or supporters interested in sustaining this vital service are invited to get in touch at business@travellermovement.org.uk. A fully resourced advocacy programme is essential to tackling systemic inequality and holding public authorities to account.

Women's Advocacy and Mental Health Policy Work - Expanding Empowerment and Access

Through our Women’s Empowerment Network (WEN), we are pleased to announce the delivery of two accredited beauty and enterprise skills courses for Romani (Gypsy) and Irish Traveller women and girls. The eyelash extension courses immediately oversubscribed—highlight a strong appetite among women for practical, income-generating skills development rooted in culturally affirming support.

This is not just about beauty; this is about economic inclusion, self-determination, and gender equity.

To learn more about the WEN or future training opportunities, email wen@travellermovement.org.uk.

In addition, we have commenced delivery of our new London-based mental health research project, aimed at identifying the structural barriers Romani (Gypsy) and Irish Travellers face when attempting to access talking therapies and mental health services. The project, funded to strengthen equity in mental health provision, will:

Map service gaps and institutional blind spots,

Gather lived experience evidence from community members,

Inform the co-production of recommendations for more culturally competent mental health care.

Our first Community Steering Group convened in late June, and the inaugural community focus group will take place on 22nd July at the Traveller Movement office in Stockwell.

📣 If you are a Romani (Gypsy) or Irish Traveller community member and would like to share your experiences or participate in the project, please email: Annaliase at

communitydevelopment@travellermovement.org.uk

Finally, we are saddened to share that our Senior Women’s Worker has had to step down due to health-related reasons. We thank her for her outstanding contribution and commitment to our women’s advocacy programme. In the interim, all related enquiries should be directed to business@travellermovement.org.uk.

Pan-London Partnerships - Strengthening Local Action

Under the

Propel Pan-London Partnership Project,

we are continuing to build momentum for joined-up approaches across boroughs to improve outcomes for Romani (Gypsy), Roma, and Irish Traveller communities in London.

Following a high-impact roundtable at City Hall in June, we are now finalising a comprehensive policy report that maps local authority engagement, identifies best practice, and outlines practical recommendations for strengthening local government compliance with equality duties and inclusion strategies.

The full report will be published on our website in the coming weeks.

This project underscores the urgent need for strategic coordination across local authorities, with accountability mechanisms to ensure no community is left behind.

Parliament and Government Announcements

You can read our submission to the The Health and Social Care Committee Call for Evidence on a childs first 1001 days of life

here.

GRTHM 2025 Wrap UP!

BLOG

Tales and Tunes at the Irish Centre by Richard O’Neill

On the 25th of June 2025, during Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month something truly special happened at the Irish Centre in Hammersmith, London. It wasn’t just a performance, it was a homecoming of sorts

Read the full blog here

Opportunities to get involved in our work

Advisory board ongoing recruitment – find out more here

TM are also recruiting for a new Intern for the Partnerships team. Find out more here. This is an ideal opportunity for anyone with an interest in film making, social media and/or digital design.