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New Stuff

• Conference - Travellers, policy makers and service providers will assess progress made in tackling social exclusion and develop goals and strategies to increase the inclusion and human rights of Travellers. Wednesday 19 November 2008, 9-4.30pm, London Resource Centre, 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA. Further details at: http://www.irr.org.uk/2008/november/bw000013.html (TJ 10/11/08)
• ENAR Shadow Reports http://www.enar-eu.org/Page_Generale.asp?DocID=15294&la=1&langue=EN ENAR (the European Network Against Racism) produce “Shadow Reports” – “they are not a scientific study of the state of racism or discriminatory practices in EU Member States, but a compilation of information and data collected by its member organisations, a vast network of NGOs working on anti-racism, the protection of human rights and the provision of legal and other support to those facing discrimination, unequal treatment and marginalisation in the European Union.” ENAR have recently published their 2007 report on the UK (see: http://cms.horus.be/files/99935/MediaArchive/pdf/The%20situation%20of%20Roma%20in%20Europe%202007.pdf) and have just published their report on the situation of the Roma in Europe (see: http://cms.horus.be/files/99935/MediaArchive/pdf/The%20situation%20of%20Roma%20in%20Europe%202007.pdf). (WTYL 06/10/08 and Runnymede’s October update, http://www.runnymedetrust.org/)

Training

• A Gypsy storyteller held sessions at Barnsley's Cannon Hall Museum on Sunday 4th November as part of 'Passing Places', a free exhibition on traveller history which ran from 3rd October - 4th November 2007.
• MLA Yorkshire's latest Audience Development Toolkit Resource Banks are now available on their website. This includes advice for Working with the Traveller & Gypsy Community
• 'Gypsies & Travellers: the issues', a course in Colchester on 4 Oct:
  
  http://www.irr.org.uk/2007/october/ha000005.html (TJ 21/09/07)

Stock Information

• Irish Traveller Movement in Britain has just published their second newsletter: http://www.irishtraveller.org.uk/policy/newsletter (TJ 26/10/07)
• Doncaster Traveller Education Service (01302 734258) have book lists of Traveller-Related Resources available for Schools.
• George Sparrowhawk Wally's first football match price £6.00 + p+p Scott Leaver Go away Eddie price £6.00 + p+p Both books are available from: Sutton + Merton TES, Glastonbury Centre, Hartland Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 6LZ Both books were written by young travellers about young travellers, but would interest all young people aged 5-12. (TJ 26/02/06)

Educational Support

• The Quality in Libraries Awards run by Read on Write Away! (Rowa!) provides a structure for achieving excellence in Skills for Life provision in libraries. The programme can be run in public, mobile, school, FE, prison, medical and specialist libraries, and Gypsy & Travellers centres. Lynn Ludditt, and Sue Atkinson talk about the award in an article in Update: 'Training Staff to support the Skills for Life agenda'. (UM 7 [7-8] July/ August 2008 pp35-37 Lynn Ludditt, QLA Consultant, Read on-Write Away!, Smedley Street, Matlock, DE4 3AG, 01246 204851; lynn.ludditt@derbyshire.gov.uk )
• Article about education & travellers in "Children & Young People Now": http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletins/Daily-Bulletin/inDepth/822499/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin (TJ 26/06/08)
• Work in Leeds Libraries with travellers and Travellers Ed: The mobile library visits the two static sites in Leeds every two weeks and we are in the middle of a ten week programme with young travellers who are learning IT and Multi media skills. We are also hosting a display of Traveller/Roma Art in the Central library Art Display area to celebrate their history month. Ann Day, Neighbourhood Renewal Manager, Leeds Library and Information Service, Tel 0113 395 2340, ann.day@leeds.gov.uk (TJ 29/06/08)
• DCSF have just published this book of case studies (with accompanying DVD), showing how three schools have raised the attainment of Gypsy, Roma and Travller pupils. Further info at: http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF-00102-2008& (TJ 09/04/08 & WTYL 14/04/08)
• The forgotten minority: the achievement of Traveller children at school http://www.bowgroup.org/harriercollectionitems/The%20forgotten%20minority.doc Bow Group research paper which highlights the worsening educational failure of Irish Traveller and Gypsy/Roma pupils in schools. (WTYL 14/01/08 and Children & Young People Now daily bulletin, http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletins/Daily-Bulletin/news/773971/?hbx.dcmp=EMC-DailyBulletin)
• This is a link to the summary of the Bow Group report on the falling level of school achievement of Traveller and Roma/Gypsy children: http://www.bowgroup.org/harriercollectionitems/The%20forgotten%20minority.doc (TJ 07/01/08)
• Early Years Outreach Practice - Supporting early years practitioners working with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/earlyyears/ Save the Children has just published this document, aimed at anyone doing outreach work with children from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. Drawing on the experiences and understanding of practitioners currently working in rural and urban locations, it aims to share and reflect their work, knowledge and ideas, which are transferable to other outreach early years work. The report includes information on library work in this context. See weblink above - and PDF of report at: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/earlyyears/ey_outreach_practice.pdf. (WTYL 26/11/07 and www.irr.org.uk)
• Save the Children has just published: Early Years outreach practice - supporting early years practitioners working with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families. See: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/docs/ey_outreach_practice.pdf (pdf file, 712kb) (TJ 16/11/07)
• EduAction / London Borough of Waltham Forest, have just published a unique Romani/English wordbook for school use, and an accompanying interactive CD Rom. The combined price is £10.00 plus p and p. Email Gilly for documents showing the full details and order information. (TJ 16/07/01 from Peter Norton, Advisory Teacher for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Education
  EduAction (London Borough of Waltham Forest))
• Keep IT Moving (national) project with Traveller Education Service to ensure easy access to IT in Libraries for yourng travellers engaged and committed to distance learning - they can use PN terminals to research, pick up and submit homework, and will have a card to identify them. In Sheffield Diane Kostka is the contact: 0114 273 1839
• Learning at a Distance Supported by ICT for Gypsies and Travellers: Young Peoples' Views Final report available from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/06/SprGt/Q/pno/1 (TJ 22nd Sept 06)
• Society of Chief Libarians have agreed that children and young people who are Travellers/ Looked After Children/ Refugees & Asylum Seekers can return library materials to any library in the UK without any overdue charges being made. The library will then return materials to the originating library free of charge. For further information, contact: Assoc of Senior Children's & Education Librarians (ASCEL) Vice Chair, Lesley Sim lesley.sim@westsussex.gov.uk ; The Network - tackling exclusion in libraries, museums, archives and galleries, John Vincent john@nadder.org.uk ; Youth & Schools Panel (YASP) of CILIP, Chair, Liz Dubber lizdubber@lycosmax.co.uk ; Society of Chief Librarians (SCL), Chair, Rob Froud RNFroud@somerset.gov.uk

Cultural Projects

• Gypsy & Roma Traveller History Month is to be in June 2008 and there is a website to help coordinate and plan activities: http://www.grthm.co.uk/index.html . There are a list of regional contacts, including some in the SINTO area: North East Region contact is Peter Saunders at Education Leeds peter.saunders@educationleeds.co.uk 0113 274 8050. East Midlands contacts are: Siobhain Spencer (01629 583300) and Nigel Groom (01332 256740) of Derbyshire Gypsy, Liaison Group info@dglg.org (TJ 11/04/08)
• The Irish Traveller Movement in Britain has published issue 4 of its newsletter: http://www.irishtraveller.org.uk:80/policy/newsletter (TJ 04/04/08)
• In his foreword to the report, The inclusion of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Children, Andrew Adonis also announces that June 2008 will be the first Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month. See: http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/Inclusion%20of%20Gypsy%20Roma.pdf (TJ 23/02/08 & WTYL 03/03/08)
• New resource from the Manchester University Romani project: a downloadable DVD looking at the Romani cultural heritage - see: http://www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/Research/Projects/romani/files/cd1.shtml. More info about the research project is at: http://www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/Research/Projects/romani/files/
  11_origins.shtml.
  

  [TJ 01/07/07]
• Ted Rudge. Brumroamin: Birmingham and Midland Romany Gypsy and Traveller culture. Birmingham Libraries, £11.95 (ISBN: 0-7093-0246-0). Further information from: Marje Westley, Bookings and Sales, Birmingham Central Library, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3HQ; tel: 0121 303 2868 (TJ 27/02)
• Travellers Remember – an Audio-Visual Project: The Rural Media Company has recorded on a DVD and as an online educational resource the personal reminiscences of Travellers from the West Midlands. The 25 digital stories last between two-three minutes and feature different aspects of life on the road in the 1960s and 1970s. This resource was launched during the Borderlines Film Festival in April. These resources are freely available at: www.travellerstimes.org.uk/remember The DVD is also available for purchase from the Rural Media Company: Tel: 01432 344039 Email: info@ruralmedia.co.uk (TJ 30/07)
  
  

Background Information