Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group

Annual Review 2013 - 2014

Overview

Despite funding cuts we are still here, we are still undertaking some planning application case-work when we can, we have been involved in the new Derbyshire-wide Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment and despite being hopelessly late (it was due out in June of 2014) we await the report.

We continue to work in partnership with Links attending their events and BME Forum’s

DGLG Office’s large meeting room is perfect for Wednesday drop in and we manage to cover the Friday Lifeline phone line.

DGLG office was extremely busy this last year in that the National

Federation used the large office for its training venue to train a team of interviewers for the monitoring of UK Roma Integration strategy. We have fed into the strategy the importance of the differences in the communities that the strategy covers. Although it states ‘Roma ‘within European law this covers Gypsy and Irish Traveller people.

Because of cutbacks we do not have paid workers and mainly we work in a volunteer capacity. We are fortunate enough to employ Tracy Critchlow still for administration and would like to thank her for all the hard work she has put in, attending DGLG meetings, minute taking, looking after finances.

Information display has been taken across Derbyshire libraries including Ilkeston, Wirksworth and Swadlincote

2013 at the Cenotaph in London. Tom and Muzelley McCready alongside Janet Keet Black and Jane Brown from the RTHS

Commemorating HeritageDGLG joined as a Centenary Partner with the Imperial War Museum and this year for Heritage Open Day we set up an exhibition up in Beeley village Hall alongside the National “A Gypsy’s Tale -A Soldier’s Tale” exhibition.

2013 at the Cenotaph in London

“What an interesting, informative and moving exhibition, such a wealth of human stories and insight into the Gypsy way of life and culture. Thank you for curating this exhibition”

THE COMMENTS BOOK RECORDED

The book is the culmination of two years of hard work by members of DGLG, LGLG, the NFGLG, the Gypsy and Traveller community, and a small army of volunteers. It was a labour intensive process and everyone involved found themselves learning a new skill or passing on an old one, which in essence, is what heritage work is all about. The book was dedicated to long time Gypsy rights campaigner Lord Avebury and was accepted on his behalf by Andrew George MP.

We have a new project on the horizon cataloguing the Bob Dawson collection passed on to NFGLG in trust. Bob (left) dropped the boxes off to the office June 2014

International Roma DayInternational Roma Day 8th of April 2014, in conjunction with the Monitoring Group DGLG launched the Patrin book at the House of Commons.

New Projecton the horizon!

In 2013 we were funded through Travellers Aid Trust to carry out modules 1 2 and 3 in chainsaw training and in November 2013 we had four that successfully gained all three modules.

The course covers specific contents on aspects of health and safety, caring for chainsaws and adequate risk assessment. The certificate lasts for three years. The initial training sessions were undertaken with Derbyshire County Council and their trainers, unfortunately this training centre is now closed.

We have the trainers ready to go but at the moment we are looking for land to

train the last group of four and hopefully we will be able to complete the project in the latter part of this year. This years course took place at The Ambergate Centre.

Course Content:Highways and Construction Association Chainsaw Operations Registration Scheme (HCTA/CORS) Maintain Chainsaw Unit 01

Identify all chainsaw components. Strip down saw and check parts for serviceability.

Clean dis-assembled parts. Re-assemble chainsaw and confirm saw is fit for purpose.

Assess site conditions and conduct a suitable risk assessment to site conditions.

Identify and ensure all safety clothing and ancillary equipment is available and serviceable.

Highways and Construction Association Chainsaw Operations Registration Scheme (HCTA/CORS) Clear Lying Timber Unit 02

Determine sequence of events to ensure operations are conducted safely.

Reduce large boughs to clearing position. Reduce felled timber to manageable lengths. Clear and tidy site leaving in a safe condition. Dis-assemble, clean and re-assemble saw into a serviceable condition.

Highways and Construction Association Chainsaw Operations Registration Scheme (HCTA/CORS) Fell trees up to Guide Bar Length Unit 03

Assess site conditions and conduct a suitable risk assessment to site conditions.

Identify and ensure all safety clothing and ancillary equipment is available and serviceable.

Determine sequence of events to ensure operations are conducted safely.

Be aware of environmental issues surrounding tree felling.

Fell trees (up to guide bar length). Reduce large boughs to clearing position. Sned/trim felled timber. Reduce felled timber to manageable lengths. Clear and tidy site leaving in a safe condition. Dis-assemble, clean and re-assemble saw into a serviceable condition.

Chainsaw Course

We were sad that the funding from the Volunteering fund in health and social care ended in March. Pictured below is Emmanuel Williams from the South Derbyshire Mental Health Forum with DGLG workers and volunteers in an awareness session around dementia, promoting dementia awareness community champions. We also had a presentation from Rose Hibbard of Emotional Eating Awareness Project First Steps Derbyshire to the DGLG quarterly meeting in June.

Partnership WorkingJohanna Price acts as a facilitator for the Gypsy community attending BME planning meetings with Links CVS Chesterfield. Johanna took over from Muzelley in August. We would like to thank Muzelley for undertaking all the work she has over the last seven years. Muzelley is still a crucial volunteer in event planning.

We hold two contracts with Links. One contract funded by Hardwick

Health and Social Care

Clinical Commissioning Group, is to improve access to mainstream mental health services in Derbyshire and DGLG man a phone line for this purpose.

Johanna Price, Muzelley McCready and Bridie Page all qualified as Mental Health First Aiders and we hope that Bethaney will also qualify this coming year so that we have a team of people to man the phone especially on Fridays.

The Carers scheme funded by Derbyshire County Council makes sure that the community know what they are entitled to and where to go for help DGLG is a participating group in this scheme also. Some of the BME forum meetings are to undertake consultations for Derbyshire County Council on a number of topics working in conjunction with Mick Evans from Derbyshire County Council

We run both a drop in and a phone line service and our support

Sessions are culturally appropriate to our community. We can signpost to the relevant agencies to make sure families and individuals get the help that they need.

We find it an invaluable experience to work with other BME groups. There is strength in us working together for training and forums and we hope that there may be opportunities for us to train together in the coming year.

Quality Care Commission

Planning Permission South Derbyshire

Derbyshire Dales

North East Derbyshire

Chesterfield

We continue to give advice and information in relation to planning issues.

Working with the University of DerbyWE: WOR(L)DS WHICH EXCLUDE is funded through a European Commission Action Grant and is led by Fondazione Michelucci - Università di Verona, Italy, in conjunction with the University of Derby as the UK partner. Other partners are Spain Portugal, Romania and France and Hungary.

We have been involved in the analysis of law and policy in relation to overt (open and blatant) or covert (or hidden) racism

This is extremely topical in the light of the recent announcement of proposals to amend the definition of “traveller status” by the MP Brandon Lewis.

Workshops attended by DGLG this year have been in Granada at the start of the year, Pécs Hungary in April and in Derby in July a final workshop in Florence is in December.

A CD will be available as well as a national report and DGLG has been paramount in the filming in relation to Gypsy families and planning and the problems around “gypsy” status.

Housing Act 2004A requirement under the law (s225 of the Housing Act 2004) is that all districts should have an up to date needs assessment of their Gypsy and Traveller communities, including Showmen. In 2013 an update on the original research carried out by “Opinion” in 2008 was carried out by RRR consultancy.

DGLG did assist the researchers on a consultancy basis to gain access to Gypsy and Traveller families for interviews. We hope that we can discuss the coming report at the DGLG meeting in the autumn as an event.

DGLG sends a representative to attend the Derbyshire County Council Gypsy and Traveller Needs

WE: WOR(L)DS WHICH EXCLUDE

Working Group; this countywide group meets which met 3 times this last year. Usually there are 4 meetings in a year; there is a set plan with achievable targets. The group will probably meet when the Derbyshire Wide Needs Assessment is published.

The Gandhi High SchoolThe Gandhi High School in Pécs, Hungary. It was founded with donations from several organizations in 1992 to be the first Roma high school and has been running since 1994. It was named after the Indian Mahatma

Gandhi to emphasize the Indian origin of all Roma groups and promote his ethos. The purpose of the middle school is to provide a school-leaving exam to improve the prospects of Roma children in Hungary and to foster pride in Roma culture. The school is financed by the Hungarian government with additional funds from the EU and donations. There are also programs for adult education. Although the school is open to all, currently only five gaje are enrolled. Local gaje people have also taken up the offer of evening class and adult learning at the school.

The Gandhi High School in Pécs, Hungary.

History Month June

NetworksWe attend North Derbyshire Voluntary Action meetings when we can in Bakewell. This year we held a consultation with The Care Quality Commission. With Alia Syed from Speak Out (The University of Uclan) and Colin Bowker from the Quality Care Commission.

We took our exhibition stand to the Hive in Worcester to work with the Worcester GRT Partnership. Johanna also took the stand to Burton on Trent.

National WorkWe continue to host the National Federation work and in December the office main meeting room was used to train the community volunteers for the review on The UK Gypsy Traveller and Roma Integration strategy.

On the 14th September 2014 Brandon Lewis MP issued a consultation paper in relation to definition. The “gypsy status” or “traveller definition” issues have always been problematic and will continue to be so until a working party is set up to address the issue. It is very important that a definition reflects the changes in relation to modern day Gypsy life as well as those of heritage and tradition.

The consultation has been launched and we will think carefully and consider the best way forward. The Community Law Partnership has invited us to attend a brainstorming meeting and then we will hold an oral meeting with the department of Communities and Local Government.

This meeting will be hosted by NFGLG and will probably take place in Birmingham. This new consultation ensures that we are in for yet another busy year and we may see Gypsy and Traveller people being used as an election issue. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-and-travellers-proposed-changes-to-planning-policy-and-guidance

Planning and travellers: proposed changes to planning policy and guidance:

This consultation is open until 23rd November

We produced our final calendar for 2014 (actually the 2013 one should have been the last.!) As it was 2014 and we had joined as Centenary partners for commemoration we made a final effort on another one. We have to watch our funding carefully now and in 15 years of producing the calendars there was only one year where we actually made a profit and few years where it only just covered the printing costs.

NFGLG obtained funding to produce a calendar with its A Gypsy’s Tale Project so we will put a link on the DGLG website to the appropriate page on the Federation website. This year we have reduced the size of the report to A5, again to save printing and distribution costs.

2014 Calendar

Contact details:Unit 3Molyneux Business ParkWhitworth RoadDarley DaleMatlockDE4 2HJ

Phone: 01629732744

Visit our new website:www.DGLG.org

Phone line openMonday 10 – 3pmWednesday 10 – 3pm Friday 10 – 3pmPlease visit by appointment we aim to reply to queries within 48hrs.There is an answer machine service available out of these hours

This year we are pleased to report that we have been awarded the PQASSO Quality Mark (Quality Assurance for Small Organisations)

Level 2 for a further three years to January 2017.

We have flagged up again the importance of ringing before calling in at the office as we operate mainly by a volunteer system. Any messages are recorded by an answering machine. Please leave your number - we had 30 calls last year by people that wanted us to get back to them but we were unable to due to the fact that they had not left their number.

Front cover picture. © DGLG As the sun goes down For the Centenary Commemoration “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red” at the Tower of London, marking one hundred years since the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War. Created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper, 888,246 ceramic poppies will progressively fill the Tower's famous moat over the summer. Each poppy represents a British military fatality during the war. proceeds to 6 charities. https://poppies.hrp.org.uk/about-the-installation

Many thanks to Wish Computers for support in

the office, the website domain and updates

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NFGLG nationalEmployment/workEducation . Due to Chainsaw training but also no TES service to assist into coursesPlanning/AccommodationGeneral support, including health and social care phone line support

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