Outreach in Sussex
We have a dedicated and brilliant team of outreach staff in Brighton and Sussex, providing a range of support and guidance to Gypsies and Travellers in the area. Our experienced team provide AQS accredited advocacy and advice on a range of issues relating to health, homelessness, education, discrimination and more.
We support Gypsies and Travellers to gain access to vital services including energy grants for gas bottles and electric vouchers, and opportunities to improve wellbeing and skills through creative workshops, yoga sessions and training.
I work with young people and on health projects as part of our Sussex Outreach, with the aim of bettering the life chances of Gypsy and Traveller people in the long term. Seeing the people that I work with develop into successful young adults is the best reward.
My outreach work gives me the opportunity to engage in my passion of outdoors teaching, encouraging communities to learn about their local wildlife. This work involves walking and foraging in all sorts of environments around Sussex, empowering communities to reap the benefits of engaging with nature. I also coordinate our weekly drop-in sessions which include social prescribing and visit local sites for face-to-face advice advocacy.
I work alongside community members across Sussex to facilitate groups, provide advocacy and casework support, and connect people with relevant resources and services. As a Fine Art graduate, I believe in the value of art as a tool for wellbeing and connection, especially for people who are neurodivergent or experiencing mental health challenges. I'm equally passionate about keeping traditional skills alive by creating opportunities for them to be shared.
I support young people in after school clubs on sites, and in accessing training and education, such as driving theory test coaching, college courses, including for those aged 14 plus, and the RSPH Health Champions qualification.
My work covers a wide range, including site & home visits, form filling, support attending appointments, help with evictions, accessing healthcare and much more. I am massively passionate about the project work I do with our communities which include things like, yoga & wellbeing group, craft, tea & chat, foraging workshops, blacksmithing and traditional cooking session.
I support children, young people and adults through a wide range of activities and one-to-one outreach. From helping at an after-school club for primary-aged children and supporting a girls' group for older girls and teenagers, to working individually with adults on the issues that matter to them, no two days are ever the same. I find it incredibly rewarding to build relationships based on trust, empathy and respect, while supporting people to achieve their goals.
Empowering young people
At Friends, Families and Travellers, we have been supporting young people access education, training and opportunities to connect with other Gypsies and Travellers for over 20 years.
We ensure young people’s voices are considered through our youth advisory board and support young people to attend parliamentarian meetings. These voices are essential in steering our present and future work.
We are only able to facilitate this important work with support from our funders and public donations.
Advice, advocacy and casework
The stark inequalities that Gypsy and Traveller people experience can often result in specific support needs, such as applying for a pitch on a local authority site or accessing education.
Through our National Helpline on 01273 234777 and AQS accredited advice and advocacy work, we provide support to people from Gypsy, Roma or Traveller communities on issues that matter most to them. We offer advice on range of topics, including health and wellbeing, employment, and rights, and provide ongoing support, such as form filling. We also act as a 'Care of' address and reading service for over 300 families without an address, to help gain and retain access to health, education and accommodation services.
Face-to-face support is available through our drop-in service in Brighton, weekly visits on sites across Sussex with our innovative Advice Bus service, and drop-in services on Transit sites in Sussex. To find out more or to book a place please call 01273 234777.
Our Outreach Team also represent the interests of community members to statutory agencies and liaise with service providers, to ensure mainstream services are, and remain, accessible.
Community development
We work with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities to secure a more fair and just future, using an asset-based community development approach to enhance the rich knowledge, skills and connections of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people, and to help improve life chances.
Our Outreach Team brings communities together and delivers programmes and workshops on healthcare, employment, digital inclusion and issues impacting young people. The models we develop are often rolled out across other areas and organisations, helping improve the quality of life for Gypsy and Traveller communities across the UK.
Supporting health and wellbeing
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people experience significant inequalities across multiple areas of life or social indicators. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people experience some of the most severe health inequalities, even compared with other socio-economic groups and people from other minority ethnic communities. In Brighton and Sussex, we work with a range of agencies to support Gypsy and Traveller people to access the support they need in a coordinated and responsive way.
Our Outreach Team work with Gypsy and Traveller people in Brighton and Sussex to arrange activities and events which improve self-esteem, develop skills and knowledge and provide opportunities for Gypsy and Traveller people to connect with others. We also work with the communities to co-develop culturally pertinent health resources.
