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Welcome to the December edition of Spotlight | |
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Seasons Greetings! Welcome to the last edition of the year of 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 and TikTok
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Manchester Police Must Be Held Accountable: Update on the Manchester Mass Dispersal Order
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The Traveller Movement continues to challenge the actions taken by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) during the mass dispersal operation on Saturday, 23 November 2024. Despite misinformation circulating online, GMP has not issued an apology for their operational decisions, nor have they addressed the harm caused to Romani Gypsy and Irish Traveller children and their families. We have instructed Ryan Bradshaw, a human rights solicitor at Leigh Day, to lodge a formal complaint with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). To find out more about the complaint addressing the allegations, please read more here.
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Traveller Movement Policy & Campaigning
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Traveller Movement Annual Conference
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On 21st November we held our Annual Conference in Brixton Town Hall, we want to thank everyone who attended the conference, particularly our speakers and our brilliant co-chairs Sean Mongan and Pauline Melvin-Anderson OBE. The Conference was a great success filled with meaningful discussions and a focus on the future of policymaking for Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller people. Throughout the conference from panel discussions to workshops there was a focus on collaborating across sectors and power makers to reshape the political landscape for Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities. This conference put community voice at the centre of the discussions and explored deeply what it means to be a member of these diverse communities in the modern day. Throughout the day there was a focus on what real political leadership looks like and how that leadership can champion community voices. Our Conference Report will be released soon, keep an eye on our socials for updates.
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Equality and Social Justice Unit (ESJU)
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To say the past couple of weeks have been busy is an understatement. I’m sure we’ve all seen updates about the recent issue on the 23rd of November in Manchester, where a dispersal order was put in place. More information about this can be found further into the newseltter.
In other news, we’ve been supporting community members with a whole host of other issues, primarily around home education and discrimination from local authorities. If you’d like to get in touch with Liv, contact her on 07908433413 or esju@travellermovement.org.uk - the lines are busy at the moment but she will get back to you as soon as possible to support you with whatever you’re going through.
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Building on the release of our report, ‘Fought not Taught: Addressing Coercive Exclusions of Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller Children’, the Traveller Movement hosted a parliamentary roundtable in Portcullis House. This event featured valuable contributions, including insights from Nadia Whittome MP who pledged her support by committing to escalate these critical conversations to higher-ups. Other attendees, representing both professional and lived experience, collaboratively discussed solutions to coercive exclusions. Their contributions will serve as the foundation for our second report on this issue, set to be published in the new year. Looking ahead, we are preparing for a larger parliamentary event, attended by a number of MPs in February based on this report. | |
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The policy team were busy representing the Traveller Movement at Conferences this month. Our Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer spoke at two education law conferences, one with Garden Court Chambers on their panel entitled ‘Religious Freedom, Cultural Identity, Political Expression, and School Exclusions' workshop’. She also spoke at the Legal Action Groups Conference highlighting the importance of acknowledging the power of institutionally coerced exclusions. | |
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As part of the international campaign, ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’, we shone a spotlight on 16 key resources we’ve co-produced with Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller survivors of abuse. From targeted risk assessment tools and safety planning videos to words of encouragement from a Catholic priest and survivors who found a light at the end of the tunnel, there are numerous resources that service providers can use when supporting victim-survivors from these communities. Check our socials for more information on each resource! In the New Year, we will be organising a training for community members who would like to interview other members of their communities for a research paper. If you’d like to get involved and be hired as a peer researcher, please contact wen@travellermovement.org.uk and ask for an application form. | |
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Exciting update! We are pleased to announce that we have had our first pass – and it looks like there will be a few more over the next few weeks. A reminder that the Traveller Movement has partnered with ODET to offer 5 FREE online driving theory sessions to young Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Travellers (16-25) in London. Those interested need to call Shane on 07842 311 701 and he will allocate you a tutor. Participants who attend all 5 sessions will be reimbursed for the cost of the driving theory test. In other London partnerships news, our London Partnership Officer has been meeting with local authorities across London to find out what they are doing to support their Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller constituents.
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Open Doors Education and Training
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ODET is excited to share that we have secured an additional six months of funding, extending our services which were due to expire in March 2025, now will carry through to September 2025. We are actively seeking referrals for young individuals aged 15 to 25 who are currently not engaged in education, employment, or training for our specialized one-to-one online program in the hope of achieving a Functional Skills Level 2 for Math and English. In addition, our comprehensive program features Career Skills and Employability Sessions, which are tailored to inspire and guide students towards their future career paths after completing their studies. For referrals or to learn more, please reach out to Shane at 07842 311 701 or email education@odet.org.uk. You can also easily download our referral application form from our website at www.odet.org.uk. Join us in helping young learners achieve their full potential!
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Well done to our Christmas Card winner, Rihanna aged 11 on her fantastic entry for the competition!
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TRAVELLER MOVEMENT CHRISTMAS CLOSURES:
The Traveller Movement Office will be closed from Friday 20th December at 4.30pm and will reopen on Thursday 2nd January 2025 at 9.30am. You can leave a message on our voicemail and we will pick up on this on our return. 020 7607 2002 or alternatively you can email us at info@travellermovement.org.uk
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Advisory board ongoing recruitment – find out more here
TM are also recruiting 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.
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Lourdes steps into the role of Women's Research and Development Worker role.
Welcoming Sarah to the Team Read more here: https://travellermovement.org.uk/news/december-2024/
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For any upcoming events, please follow the Traveller Movement on Eventbrite
Fought not Taught - Date to be confirmed
IWD event in parliament in March
Mother's day event - Date to be confirmed
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