About us
Rooted in Lived Experience. Respecting Difference. Creating Opportunities. At Traveller and Gypsy Support CIC, we believe that meaningful support begins with understanding, listening and respect. Our organisation was founded by someone with Gypsy and Traveller heritage and lived experience, which has helped shape our understanding of the experiences, strengths and challenges that can affect people from Gypsy and Traveller backgrounds. It is important to recognise that Gypsies and Travellers are not one single community. There are distinct Gypsy and Traveller communities, each with their own histories, cultures, traditions, identities and experiences and that there are many different communities with in each of these umbrella terms. There can also be significant differences within individual communities and between families and individuals. We therefore use the term Gypsy and Traveller communities deliberately. We do not assume that one experience, culture or perspective represents everyone. Our aim is to work alongside people and communities, listen to their experiences and create opportunities that recognise both their individual needs and their strengths.
Our Lived Experience
Understanding the importance of culture, identity and trust Lived experience is an important part of who we are. Our founders heritage and experiences provide a personal connection to Gypsy and Traveller communities and inform the way we approach our work. This helps us understand the importance of building trust, developing genuine relationships and creating spaces where people feel respected, listened to and
valued. We recognise, however, that lived experience is personal. One person's experiences cannot represent all Gypsies or all Travellers. Our approach is therefore to listen to the people and communities we work with, recognise differences and avoid assumptions. We believe that good community work starts with asking “What matters to you?” rather than assuming we already know the answer.
Recognising Difference
Gypsy and Traveller communities are diverse. The terms Gypsy and Traveller encompass different communities and identities, with their own histories, cultural practices and experiences. There can also be significant differences in people's experiences of travelling, accommodation, education, employment, health, family life and their relationship with wider society. For this reason, we believe it is important to avoid treating Gypsies and Travellers as a single, uniform group.
Our work aims to recognise these differences and respond to the individual needs, circumstances and aspirations of the people and communities we work alongside.
Working With Communities, Not Speaking For Them.
We do not claim to speak on behalf of all Gypsy or Traveller people. Instead, we aim to work alongside communities and listen to their voices. Our lived experience provides valuable insight, but we combine this with listening, consultation, partnership working and a willingness to learn. Whether we are supporting someone with employment, helping people explore education, developing women's groups, facilitating research or providing cultural awareness training, we seek to understand the specific context of the people involved.
Our services have been developed around practical support, including employability, job-search support, social activities, women's groups, health and education
connections and practical workshops.
Recognising Skills, Challenging Stereotypes
Looking beyond assumptions and recognising potential, we believe that greater understanding can create greater opportunity. Gypsy and Traveller communities have a wealth of skills, knowledge, experience, resilience and expertise to offer employers, organisations and wider society. However, these strengths can sometimes be overlooked because of stereotypes, misconceptions or a lack of understanding about the communities themselves. Part of our role is to help change this.
We work to educate employers, professionals and the wider community about the strengths and skills within Gypsy and Traveller communities, helping
people to look beyond stereotypes and recognise the contribution that individuals can make. This includes highlighting the practical, entrepreneurial, interpersonal and community-based skills that people may develop throughout their lives, while also supporting individuals to recognise and communicate their own skills and strengths. We want employers to see potential rather than stereotypes. We want education providers to see aspiration rather than assumptions. We want organisations to see skills and contribution rather than barriers. And we want the wider community to have opportunities to develop genuine understanding through meaningful engagement with the diverse Gypsy and Traveller communities around them.
Education as a Tool for Change
We believe that education and meaningful exposure to different people and experiences can help challenge prejudice and reduce racism. Racism and discrimination can be reinforced when people have little opportunity to meet, learn from or understand people from different backgrounds. Creating opportunities for positive interaction, conversation and shared experiences can help challenge assumptions and replace stereotypes with greater understanding. Through our community activities, outreach, education, cultural awareness work and engagement with organisations, we aim to create opportunities for
people to learn about Gypsy and Traveller communities from the people themselves. We want to create environments where people can ask questions, challenge their
own assumptions and develop a more informed understanding of the diversity that exists across Gypsy and Traveller communities. Our aim is not simply to challenge negative attitudes, but to create positive opportunities for connection and understanding. We believe that when people have the opportunity to learn from one another, see each other's strengths and share experiences, it becomes easier to challenge prejudice and build more inclusive communities.
Changing Perceptions Through Opportunity
Our work has two connected sides.
Creating opportunities within Gypsy and Traveller communities
We support individuals to develop confidence, skills and access to employment, education, health services, activities and wider opportunities. Creating greater understanding outside those communities
We work with employers, professionals, researchers, organisations and the wider public to improve understanding, challenge stereotypes and encourage more
inclusive attitudes and practices. We believe both are necessary to create lasting change. Creating opportunities for people is important, but so is creating environments in which those opportunities can be accessed without prejudice, discrimination or assumptions becoming barriers.
Supporting Individuals and Communities
Our practical services are designed to help people develop confidence, skills and
opportunities.
These include:
- Employability skills and work experience
- CV writing and job-search support
- Education and university and college engagement
- Health and service connections
- Women's groups
- Social and community activities
- Bushcraft and practical activities
- Cooking and life-skills workshops
Our aim is to make opportunities more accessible while creating welcoming environments where people can learn, participate and connect.
Working With Organisations
Our lived experience also informs the professional services we provide.
We support organisations, researchers, employers and professionals who want to engage more effectively with Gypsy and Traveller communities. Cultural Awareness Training
Helping organisations develop greater understanding of different Gypsy and
Traveller cultures, experiences and communities, while challenging assumptions and
misconceptions.
Research Participant Facilitation
Supporting researchers and organisations to engage respectfully with community
members, build trust and create inclusive opportunities for participation.
Inclusive Recruitment
Helping organisations consider how their recruitment approaches can become more
inclusive and accessible, while recognising the skills and potential of people from
diverse backgrounds.
Community Recruitment & Onboarding
Supporting organisations to engage with community members and create a
welcoming journey from initial contact through to active participation.
These professional services are already part of the organisation's wider offer and
reflect our aim of helping organisations build more meaningful relationships with
Gypsy and Traveller communities.
Our Values
Respect
Respecting different identities, cultures, traditions and individual experiences.
Listening
Taking the time to hear what individuals and communities actually say they need.
Trust
Building genuine relationships through consistency, honesty and openness.
Inclusion
Working to ensure that people can access opportunities without having to
compromise their identity or culture.
Empowerment
Supporting people to recognise their strengths, develop skills and make their own
choices.
Opportunity
Creating pathways into education, employment, skills, wellbeing and participation.
Understanding
Challenging assumptions and creating opportunities for people to learn from one
another.
Why We Do What We Do
We believe that people should not have to leave their culture or identity behind in order to access opportunities. Gypsy and Traveller communities have diverse histories, cultures, knowledge, skills and strengths. Our role is not to change those identities, but to help create environments where people can access opportunities, participate and thrive while being respected for who they are. We also believe that wider society has an important role to play. Greater understanding can challenge prejudice. Positive exposure can challenge stereotypes. Education can challenge racism. By creating opportunities for people to meet, learn from and understand one another, we can help build stronger relationships between Gypsy and Traveller communities and the wider society.
Our Commitment
We recognise that we are continually learning.
We will continue to listen to the people and communities we work with, recognise differences, challenge assumptions and adapt our approach.
Our lived experience is an important part of our foundation, but our work is ultimately shaped by relationships with the diverse people and communities we support.
We want to be an organisation that people can trust — one that recognises the diversity of Gypsy and Traveller communities, celebrates their strengths, challenges discrimination and works with others to create genuine opportunities for positive change.
Our Vision
We want to contribute to a future where Gypsy and Traveller people can access education, employment, health services, community activities and wider opportunities without experiencing unnecessary barriers, prejudice or discrimination. A future where employers recognise the skills, knowledge and contribution that people from Gypsy and Traveller communities can bring.
A future where organisations understand that Gypsy and Traveller communities are diverse and should not be treated as one homogenous group. A future where greater understanding, meaningful engagement and positive exposure help reduce racism, challenge stereotypes and create more inclusive
communities.