Every June since 2008, people from across the UK celebrate Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month (GRTHM). The theme of this year’s GRT History Month is What does family mean to you? which focuses on the different shapes and sizes family can take. It’s an important idea for Lambeth with our aim to become a borough of equity and justice.
Taking a stand
Romany Gypsy, Irish Traveller, Roma and nomadic communities face very high levels of racial abuse, social and economic deprivation, and poor access to health and employment. But organisations like Friends, Families and Travellers are working to transform systems and institutions to address the root causes of those inequalities.
Telling the tale
Lambeth has worked with Friends, Families and Travellers to help raise awareness of the lives of travelling people, hosting the Mapping the Histories of London’s Travellers exhibition in Lambeth Libraries throughout the past year.
Using stories, articles, interactive online maps and QR codes linked to audio recordings of people with lived experience, the exhibition offered a deeper understanding of the contribution Romany Gypsies, Irish Travellers, and travelling showpeople have always made to London’s social, economic, and cultural life. Visitors had a first-hand look at how life on the road used to be with a chance to visit a real-life vardo via the Friends, Families and Travellers Travelling Tales Project as well as readings and music from the community.
More information
Find out more about Friends, Families and Travellers. They celebrate Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people’s rich histories, cultures and contributions to society and share this with the wider public. For Gypsy, Traveller and Roma Month 2024 they’re offering free resources:
- An education pack (PDF) for schools and prisons
- A timeline poster that, while highlighting some key moments in Gypsy, Roma and Traveller history, shows how little of that history has really been recorded .
- Social media posts you can share on Twitterand Instagram to help raise awareness and show support for GRT communities.
