::Young Gypsy-Traveller:: About the Project ::

Teaching the Teachers (2007-2008)
Welcome to our new project, funded by the Commission for Racial Equality.

The Training the Teachers project has started at FFT, which builds upon the work of ‘Teach the Teachers’. The new project will work with and train young Gypsy Travellers to deliver awareness-raising sessions to teachers and schools.

We are looking for two groups of Young Gypsy Travellers who would be interested in helping us with this exciting new project.

We are also looking for schools to become involved – if you represent a school, or know of a school that you think would benefit from training sessions, contact us!

We have been awarded a youth opportunity fund of just over £3,000 by East Sussex County Council's Children's Services. This money is for a summer holiday project which young people have asked us for to go on outings over the summer period to places like Druscillas, the Weald & Downland Museums Romani Roots festival, quad biking and Thorpe Park. These activities are to be targeted towards young people in the most priority need including highly mobiles between the ages of 12-18, aiming to take at least 30 young people on trips.

Teach the Teachers (2006-2007)
Funded by the Commission for Racial Equality

The project aimed to help connect young Gypsy Travellers to "new professionals". This term is used to describe new teachers, youth workers and all those who are becoming involved in Young Gypsy Traveller work under the Every Child Matters agenda. Many 'New Professionals' have had little or no experience of the Gypsy Traveller culture.

We drew upon the experience gained from the Cyberpilot project, to create a multi media CD ROM and website, that will enable Gypsy and Traveller Young People to tell 'New Professionals' about Gypsy Traveller culture and lifestyle, how young people want to be seen and treated. This project had no agenda, and was shaped by the needs and feedback of Gypsy and Traveller Young People.

This project consulted Gypsy and Traveller young people throughout the country, directly and through the CyberPilot website.

This CD was produced as part of the Community Education and Capacity Building project at Friends, Families and Travellers and funded by the Commission for Racial Equality. The project manager was Tammy Furey.

Download your free copy here

This is a very very large file and is in the form of an executable program (46MB) so be patient/ make a cup of tea (and do not attempt if you don't have broadband!),

Or request a CD (£4.50 a copy including postage and packing - cheques payable to Friends, Families and Travellers - or email for an invoice) by write to:

Suzanna King
Friends, Families and Travellers
Community Base
113 Queens Road
Brighton
E. Sussex
BN1 3XG

or Tel: 01273 234821 and ask for Suzanna.
or email admin@gypsy-traveller.org

Remember to include your address!

"more teachers should be sent on traveller awareness courses to understand about our culture and tradtions were i live in london most of our teachers are from aboard my mum had to bring in traveller books for them".
shannon

CyberPilot Project 2002-2006:

The Cyber Pilots, run by Friends Families and Travellers, was funded by Comic Relief (2002-2005).

The Young People:

The Cyber Pilot project was for all Gypsy, Traveller, Show and Fairground Young People, on the road, in sites, or housed. Aged between 6-16 years old, located in England, Wales and Scotland. The project worked with state or home educated Young People.

The Young People involved in the project were referred to as "Cyber Pilots" to create a feeling of a club, whch in turn fostered feelings of ownership which is vital for the success of the project.

Safety: The Project had its own website child protection policy to ensure Young People's safety. Click here to access the document. The Community Web Manager has been Police Checked by FFT.

The Adults:

1. Service providers: Traveller Education Services and associated units

2. Projects who work with Traveller Young People

3. National organisations who work with Young People, such as the Children's Fund, Save the Children and the Children' Society.

4. Parents of Traveller Young People.

5. Adults involved in the Project are referred to as "Cyber Mentors".

The project main aims:

1. To enable Young People to develop confidence in ICT skills. This is achieved through participation in the project’s website: The Cyber Pilots, either through Traveller Education Services, children’s organisations and Local Traveller projects OR through outreach work.

2. To create an online community for Young People where they will be able to leave messages for each other, share stories, art, photos, poems and more. The website therefore serves as a means to strengthen identity and a enable self expression.

3. To communicate to the settled community who Young Gypsy and Travellers are, what they feel and experience, in their own words.