Gypsy and Traveller Voice
The Gypsy & Traveller Voice project aims to support Gypsies and Travellers in and around Doncaster.
Gypsies and Travellers are the most disenfranchised ethnic minority communities in England. They experience profound inequalities, particularly in relation to health, education and housing. Racism towards these communities remains widespread. Doncaster’s Gypsy and Traveller communities are estimated to be the largest in England at around 6-8000 people.
Our project is delivered by Violet Cannon and Paula Nicholson who are themselves from the Gypsy and Traveller community. Together, they undertake outreach support with the community, work with service providers to improve access to local services, and work with local and national media to raise awareness and challenge negative stereotyping.
Violet Cannon says of her work "I value the opportunity to address some of the stark inequalities my community face and look forward to working with organisations and individuals alike to try and address these in a mutually beneficial way”.
Examples of their work in the past few years has included:
- Developing confidence within the Gypsy and Traveller community to access both statutory and third sector services including those that have traditionally been avoided due to cultural sensitivities
- Supporting Gypsies and Travellers in Doncaster with both simple one off interventions and complex case work
- A campaign to promote the 2011 Census and the historical opportunity for the community to self identify their ethnicity for the first time
- Cultural awareness training for service providers to understand how to better engage with the community
- Consultations with the community
- Informal advice to service providers to help make their literature accessible to Gypsies and Travellers
- Appearances on national and local television to raise awareness of the issues
- Violet has recently written a highly successful book about her life!
Violet and Paula mainly work on Thursdays and Fridays. If you would like to contact them to find out more then please contact:
Violet Cannon, Inclusion Officer
01302 343300 ext 280
vcannon@doncastercvs.org.uk
Paula Nicholson, Assistant Inclusion Officer
01302 343300 ext 226
pnicholson@doncastercvs.org.uk
