Workshops

Children and young people across the UK are in crisis, however, challenges of attendance, exclusion, a lack of special educational needs access and the resulting lack of opportunity do not affect all children equally. Structural racism means these issues are exacerbated for Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller children. Poor experiences and low attainment in school also increase the likelihood of ending up not in education, employment, or training (NEET), meaning poor experiences in education have a lifelong impact on a child.

During this workshop we will focus on bold policy interventions to close these opportunity gaps for Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities. However, our communities are so often forgotten in local and national policymaking meaning while other communities make bold leaps toward progress Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Travellers are left behind.

This workshop asks the question: how do we meaningfully include Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Travellers in national and local strategies, like the National Youth Strategy and London’s Inclusion Charter, to close attainment gaps in education, skills and employment?

This workshop explores the structural drivers of poverty and economic exclusion in the UK, with a focus on Romani (Gypsy), Roma, and Irish Traveller communities—groups facing some of the highest poverty rates in the country. Despite the UK’s economic strength, poverty has risen by over 50% since the 1970s, and government data from 2024 shows that over one in five people now live in relative poverty. Profound and deepening poverty has a direct impact on already marginalised communities and has a particular impact on children.

Participants will examine how insecure housing, site shortages, and limited digital access compound economic marginalisation. The absence of joined up policymaking in tackling the profound poverty experienced by many community members often leaves Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities trapped in an endless cycle, without the economic and social mobility of other communities.

The session will link community experiences to key policy areas including child poverty targets, housing and planning reform, and the unequal impact of the cost-of-living crisis. It will offer space to discuss how advocacy and policy change can better reflect and serve those most affected.

Romani (Gypsy), Roma, and Irish Traveller communities are overrepresented at every stage of the criminal justice system. From an early age, members of these communities face systemic discrimination, over-policing, and marginalisation that funnel them into contact with the justice system. This leads to disproportionately high number of community members in prison.

This workshop will explore how Romani (Gypsy), Roma, and Irish Traveller people experience criminalisation, focusing on the broader systems and structures that drive individuals into prison rather than on prisons themselves. It will examine the impact of legislation such as the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, alongside policing practices, court outcomes, and institutional biases that contribute to unfair treatment.

Bringing together lived experience, frontline professionals, and policymakers, this session aims to identify and discuss practical policy reforms needed to address these inequalities. Attendees will gain insight into the lived realities of these communities and explore how justice systems can be made fairer, more inclusive, and more effective for all.

This workshop, “Changing the Narrative: Empowering Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller Youth Through Advocacy,” aims to explore the importance of advocacy and discuss how young people can become confident advocates for themselves and their communities. Within this workshop, we will uncover what youth advocacy means, why it matters—especially for marginalised groups—and highlight examples of positive change driven by Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller youth.

Within the workshop, participants will identify practical ways to amplify youth voices, encouraging participants to engage with various platforms such as social media, creative arts, and formal political spaces. We will discuss the importance of social media in providing young people with the platform needed to raise awareness, challenge stereotypes, and speak out on issues that affect their lives.

Through interactive activities like group discussions and action planning, participants will leave the workshop with a deeper understanding of the importance of youth-led advocacy, and the different platforms that are available. Participants will also discuss the role of allies in supporting youth advocacy efforts.