This is the first in a four-part series covering the latest news and updates from The Traveller Movement in May 2026. Each instalment digs into a different part of our recent work — read on, and check out Part 2 , Part 3 or Part 4, or sign up to our newsletter to get the full story straight to your inbox each month.

In the Spotlight

Welcome from the CEO

The month of May has been one of strong external engagement alongside continued progress in shaping policy, strengthening partnerships and amplifying the voices of Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities within national and local frameworks.

It has been a privilege to represent The Traveller Movement in several important forums and events. I recently had the honour of meeting the President of Ireland, Katherine Connolly, at a reception hosted by the Embassy of Ireland.

This event provided an important opportunity to highlight the shared challenges facing all Irish diaspora communities and the need for coordinated action and continued supported across borders.

I also attended the King’s Garden Party and connected with sector colleagues from across the equalities and wider fields.

However, these conversations are taking place against a backdrop of growing national concern. The recent Milburn Review on Young People and Work is the latest in a long line of reports warning of a deepening crisis highlighting rising youth unemployment, increasing numbers of young people locked out of opportunity, and a system that is failing to provide accessible pathways into work.

For Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities, this is not new. These inequalities have been consistently evidenced across health, education, employment and criminal justice for decades. The issue is not a lack of data or understanding, it is a lack of action.

We do not need further reports to tell us what we already know. We need delivery.

Encouragingly, we are already demonstrating what action can look like in practice. In July, The Traveller Movement, in partnership with London Higher, will host a Youth Careers Fair on 9 July 2026 at Coin Street, London, bringing together employers, education providers and training organisations to create direct pathways into opportunity for young people from Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities. This is exactly the kind of targeted, practical intervention needed to respond to the challenges highlighted in the Milburn Review.

We strongly encourage funders, policymakers and partners to attend and engage with this work.

We are calling on government, funders and statutory agencies to move beyond acknowledgement of these issues and take decisive, sustained action.

This means:

Implementing existing policy commitments in full, with clear accountability for outcomes
Investing in delivery at scale, not short-term pilots or fragmented initiatives
Embedding culturally competent approaches across mainstream services, rather than treating our communities as an afterthought
Working in genuine partnership with organisations rooted in lived experience, to design and deliver solutions that work

The evidence is clear. The policy frameworks are already in place. Yet inequalities are widening, not narrowing.

Without urgent and coordinated action, the risk is not only that these disparities persist but that they deepen further, leaving another generation behind.

The Traveller Movement stands ready to work with partners across government and the voluntary sector to move from strategy to implementation, and from commitment to impact.

Yvonne MacNamara

CEO

May Updates

Influencing National Policy Frameworks

The Traveller Movement have been delivering training sessions to two cohorts from The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland. The sessions focused on increasing understanding of Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities, including:

Community histories and identities
Barriers to accessing services
Structural inequalities and discrimination
Cultural competency and inclusive engagement
Best practice approaches for programme delivery

By supporting funders and delivery organisations to develop culturally informed approaches, these sessions are contributing to more equitable programme design and commissioning decisions, ensuring that future funding and services better reflect the needs of our communities.

Use the button below if you are interested in booking in for any of our trainings or would like to know more

Email our Head of Partnerships and Advocacy

The Case for Targeted Health Needs Assessments: A Policy Imperative

Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities experience some of the poorest health outcomes in the UK. Inequalities in mental health, maternal health and chronic conditions remain stark.

The Traveller Movement’s recent Health Needs Assessment in the London Borough of Brent, delivered in partnership with Brent Council, highlights the urgency of this work. Community members identified mental health as a critical concern, alongside experiences of discrimination in healthcare settings and barriers to accessing services.

These findings reflect a broader national picture. Without targeted data collection, these inequalities remain underrepresented within mainstream systems.

Targeted Health Needs Assessments provide a practical solution—generating robust local evidence, centring lived experience, and supporting commissioners to design culturally appropriate services.

We are calling on Local and Regional Authorities to commission dedicated Health Needs Assessments as a matter of priority and to translate findings into meaningful service improvements.

The Traveller Movement can support Local and Regional Authorities to plan, connect and deliver HNAs in their areas. Use the button below if you want to know more or are interested in delivering your own HNA

Email our Senior Policy and Research Officer