Panels

Speakers include: Katharine Quarmby (Investigative Journallist); Jabeer Butt (Race Equality Foundation); Daniel Balaz (Connecting Roma CIC); Simon Jones (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government); Roxanne Lashley Allen (Impetus)

Despite decades of equality policy and investment, certain communities including Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Travellers remain persistently underserved by national strategies.  Whether in health, education, criminal justice or poverty reduction, the pattern is clear: some groups are not just overlooked, but systematically excluded.

This panel asks the uncomfortable questions: Why do these gaps persist, even in 2025? What structural biases remain embedded in policymaking? And what would it take to build a genuinely inclusive social justice agenda one that works for all communities, not just the most visible or politically convenient?

Drawing on lived experience, frontline practice, and policy insight, our speakers will explore the root causes of exclusion — and offer forward-thinking solutions that challenge complacency and inspire action.

This is not just a policy conversation — it’s a call for urgency, ambition, and accountability.

Speakers include:  Michael Riley (Outdoor Sports and Diversity Inclusion Officer) Pauline Melvin Anderson OBE (Traveller Movement); Charmaine Abdul Karim (Pride of Romany); Annalise Corcoran (Traveller Movement); 

In this powerful and personal session, we return to the fireside to explore the deep and often painful questions of identity, authenticity, and belonging within Romani (Gypsy) and Irish Traveller communities.

Too often, those who speak out, pursue education, take up leadership, or challenge injustice face not only external discrimination but also internal criticism. Many are told they are “not Traveller enough” or ridiculed for daring to raise their voice. Putting your head above the parapet is never easy and for our communities, it can come at a real personal cost.

This discussion centres those lived realities and asks: What does it mean to claim your identity with pride? How do we build confidence, connection, and collective strength in the face of both societal prejudice and internal policing?

Our expert panel of changemakers will explore the roots of this anxiety — from intergenerational trauma to damaging stereotypes — and challenge the false narratives that hold people back.

We’ll also ask what more organisations like the Traveller Movement and others can do to nurture safe spaces, leadership, and lasting solidarity.

This is a session about courage, community, and claiming your place.

Pull up a chair, the fire is lit.