Projects
The Playbus – we visit sites all
over
Books on Wheels – in partnership with Cornwall Library Service and Cornwall Equality and Diversity Service we have a large library of children’s books and other Traveller related publications. We always have a selection of books on the play bus available for loan.
St.Day Gypsy and Traveller Women’s Group meets once a week during term time at the St.Day Children’s Centre. It is attended by Gypsy, Irish Traveller and New Traveller women and their pre-school children.
We set the group up in partnership with the health visitor for the near by site in October 2005.
There’s not room to list all the activities that take place at this busy group, but they include: a mother and toddler group, craft activities, healthy cooking, sewing, first aid training, drug and alcohol awareness training, access to the internet, film making and tea drinking.
Other agencies have found the group a useful way of engaging with Gypsies and Travellers and it is regularly attended by Family Learning who provide literacy support, Cornwall Adult Social Care who can help with form filling, making appointments, benefits advice and any other problems that may come up, the Dental Service and the Stop Smoking Service and the health visitor.
Young women from the group were recently involved in making a film for the Cornwall Children and Young People’s Partnership. Inspired by their skills in front of and behind the camera several have gone on to make short films about their lives.
Other activities have included a swimming group, kick boxing, (in partnership with the Bishop’s Forum’s Sportlink project), day trips and a separate cooking group
It is hoped that the group will be able to link up with young Romanian Roma. The project will involve photography, film making and maybe a live webcam link up.
Speak Out!
TravellerSpace support Gypsies and Travellers in getting their voices heard in decision and policy making processes. It is only by taking note of their opinions, experience and expertise that solutions will be found to the many problems faced by Gypsy and Traveller communities.
Over the past five years we have helped Gypsies and Travellers to attend meetings and take part in consultations with local authorities, Government and other bodies. We have also organised Gypsy and Traveller led training and workshops.
In 2006 TravellerSpace were employed to manage the field work for the Cornwall Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment. We recruited and oversaw Gypsy and Traveller interviewers who conducted 262 interviews throughout Cornwall with members of their communities. The high quality data from these interviews formed the back bone of the GTAA which will help determine levels of site provision in Cornwall for the next decade.
TravellerSpace chair the Cornwall Inter-Agency Forum for Travellers
Training and workshops
we are developing a range of training and workshops around Gypsy and Traveller issues and culture. This training will be led by Gypsies and Travellers. TravellerSpace also organise capacity building training for Gypsies and Travellers.