Devon

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded 3 years’ funding towards our core costs by the National Lottery Reaching Communities fund.

Building on the work started with our Development Grant, we are now planning our work for the next 3 years. TravellerSpace always has the voices of Gypsies & Travellers at the heart of their development plans, and we are now beginnig with a baseline assessment of all current project users who wish to participate online, over the phone or carried out face to face, to gain their input on where are how we should focus our work going forward.

 The Devon Team has so far worked with  256  people who are new to our project

We are very fortunate to have a fantastic staff team: Angie Whitehead, Liz Watkins, Sarah Cate, Jasmin Whitehead and Rachel Shacklock.

Between them they have a wide range of skills with their varied skills and extensive lived experience.

 Starting with our existing contacts and networks, we have successfully developed relationships with New Travellers, Gypsies, Irish Travellers and horsedrawn New Travellers across all of Devon, both in person and remotely. Community open days, playbus sessions, distributing the Household Support Grant, online publicity and most importantly word of mouth has introduced our project to many Gypsies and Travellers who we were not previously in contact with.

The TravellerSpace Playbus now has a new home in Devon, and is diligently looked after by community member and new staff member Rachel Shacklock, who has lost no time in engaging with isolated families and running very carefully prepared, engaging and creative activities for children to get absorbed in. The Playbus currently goes out once a week with two support workers on a revolving schedule to different isolated Traveller communities; some community members attend sessions at other sites so that they are less isolated and access the Playbus more often. We intend to increase the frequency of Playbus sessions over the next year.

We facilitated two very different community days planned & run by residents:

Haldon Hill decided on Hallowe’en party with  a bouncy castle, circus workshops, pumpkin carving, face painting and slime making, and music, as well as a buffet which everybody contributed towards.

Berrydown Farm had a Winter Wellness and community day in November, with traditional handicraft workshops such as wooden flute and whistle making, leather dog collars, herbal tinctures and balm making, to help people keep themselves well and healthy in the winter. The Playbus was in attendance for both days, providing activities for children of all ages on both sites.

The development of relationships and partnerships with a wide range of agencies across Devon is a vital element of our work. TravellerSpace has worked closely with a range of agencies in Devon over the past year, including Family Support Workers, Housing Officers, Health Services, Social Services, to support  families and individuals living on site or in bricks and mortar. This includes Local and County Council departments, such as Planning, Police, Education and Health. We attend meetings when asked, advocating for our Gypsy and Traveller clients.  We are also active members of local forums which ensure best practice and agreed protocols when working with Gypsy and Traveller communities.

TravellerSpace has developed a partnership with Devon Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS). Our mutual aim is to improve the educatio nal outcomes for Devon’s Gypsy and Traveller children and Young people. EMTAS’s advisory teacher is able to refer Gypsies and Travellers who fall outside their remit to TravellerSpace.

We now have regular meetings with Devon Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service and the Devon County Council Project and Policy Coordinator (Travelling and Vulnerable Communities) so that we can work together more effectively to improve outcomes for Gypsies & Travellers.

We have a long running partnership with Hedge-U-cation, a Traveller led and run organisation which provides educational and therapeutic activities, with the aim of developing resilience, encouraging independence and improving social, emotional, mental and physical well-being. They promote outdoor learning, traditional rural skills and environmental awareness through workshops and camps open to all. We provide play activities for the young children at the workshops, and well as advice and advocacy where needed.

TravellerSpace believe that the sharing of learning, and mutual celebration of successes with other agencies and partner organisations is an essential part of developing best practice right across the sector. Partnerships facilitate a more integrated and comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of Gypsies and Travellers, considering the multifaceted nature of the challenges they face. Partnering with organisations that offer different services can ensure that Gypsies and Travellers receive comprehensive support, from healthcare to education to legal assistance. Collaborating with other charities and organisations amplifies advocacy efforts, making it easier to influence policy and bring about systemic change. Working with diverse partners enables the sharing of best practices and successful strategies, which can lead to innovative solutions to complex issues and can lead to more sustainable initiatives by combining resources and efforts, ensuring long-term support for Gypsies and Travellers.

Much of the work in Devon focuses on improving mental health, particularly in response to several suicides in the local New Traveller communities. We have partnerships with Public Health, Assist, Real Life Psychology and a Traveller-led organisation Flow Mental Health, which enable us to provide a range of mental health support including drop-in groups and individual therapy.  We aim to develop further strong partnerships to ensure the region’s Gypsies and Travellers are able to access the support they need.

Our partnership with FLOW Mental Health, which provides accessible psychotherapy tailored specifically for individuals from Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Boater, NFA, and Off-grid communities is central to this work, and we will be seeking joint funding to expand this project. Their therapy team consists of seasoned clinicians who bring a deep understanding of these unique lifestyles, either through personal experience or extensive training. FLOW Mental Health offer a range of evidence-based interventions, including EMDR, DBT, CBT, and counselling, designed to address diverse mental health needs effectively. As Gypsy & Traveller males are most disproportionally affected by negative mental health outcomes and have the highest suicide rate of any other ethnic minority, this project is literally a lifeline; men we work with in Devon have identified they need tailored support facilitated by a trained professional and are open and positive about the project. They would like to focus on and discuss issues around trauma, suicide, and mental health difficulties.

Through our partnership with Real Life Psychology, a not for profit social enterprise offering community psychology projects in the south west, We supported an initial pilot project funded by Devon Partnership Trust (NHS) at the community’s request, Real Life Psychology is looking to facilitate group therapy sessions codesigned by the community.

We have been working with Exeter Drugs Project and intend developing links with the SMART Recovery group and AA in Paignton, as we have a number of project users who have expressed a need for these services.

Forums

Taking part in local forums such as the Gypsy & Traveller Devon Peninsula Forum are essential for amplifying our voice, making it easier to advocate for policy changes and better services. Participating in a larger network can help shape regional policies and strategies that directly impact Gypsy and Traveller communities. Being part of a forum raises our profile, potentially attracting more volunteers and supporters. Working within a forum allows for a more integrated approach to addressing the needs of Gypsy and Traveller communities, leading to more comprehensive and effective service delivery.

South Hams District Council

SHDC  have asked TravellerSpace to facilitate a Local  independent Forum for Gypsies & Travellers, to be held at regular intervals through the year and address the needs of the community, whose ideas, issues and questions will be fed back to local council representatives. The development of the South Hams Forum will provide essential links to Project Users and give them a voice in decisions that affect them.

Volunteers

We intend to seek ways to increase volunteering opportunities and develop full volunteer programme including training and professional development, as we will have the space to develop activities for the community to become involved with. There is already interest in this programme, with in house training and support available from our experienced staff.