GRT0004

Written evidence submitted by The National Lottery Community Fund

Introduction 

We welcome the opportunity to respond to this inquiry, given the education challenges faced by children and young people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) backgrounds. Over the last five years[1], we have supported GRT communities in the UK with 292 awards totalling £46.7 million. Some of our grant holders have reported that educational inequalities have been exacerbated by the pandemic[2]. Our response outlines our commitment to, and investment in, supporting GRT communities. Our work has highlighted that GRT children and young people face a range of educational challenges, including embedded racism and discrimination, poverty, and poorer access to, and lower uptake of, services.

The focus on the barriers faced by GRT children and young people is welcome. We recognise the scale of the issue and encourage consideration of how additional funding could be directed. In shaping how the government’s £1 million education programme is targeted, GRT children and young people should not be regarded as a homogeneous group and the different issues affecting individual communities must be understood through engaging directly with them.

We have adopted a holistic approach, recognising that GRT children and young people experience a range of challenges that overlap with and go beyond education. We have distributed funding to support a growing GRT civil society network, particularly smaller local organisations that have the greatest reach into local communities. Our funding has been used to support GRT community members access employment opportunities and develop broader life skills. We have also provided funding that is focused not only on barriers that affect life chances, such as low educational attainment, but also positively promotes rich cultural history and strong family and community ties.

We would be happy to organise visits to any of the live projects we fund that are mentioned in this submission, should this be of interest to Committee members. Furthermore, we would be happy to provide briefings and to share emerging insights from ongoing funding programmes for this inquiry, and for the Committee’s broader work examining the issues faced by disadvantaged and left behind groups and how they can best be supported.

Key messages 

1. The educational challenges faced by children and young people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller backgrounds, including those in fixed housing.

• Overall, poorer educational outcomes experienced by GRT young people
• Racism, discrimination and prejudice impacting mental health and educational attainment
• Poverty as a barrier to learning
• Poorer access to education and other services

2. How the Government’s £1 million education programme for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children should be targeted.

• Welcome government investment and consideration of how additional funding could be targeted
• GRT children are not a homogeneous group - programmes should understand and reflect this through direct engagement

3. Other initiatives and recommendations

• Importance of supporting and empowering GRT civil society groups
• Support with access to employment opportunities
• Initiatives that develop wider life skills, including digital literacy
• Positively promoting the strong histories and cultures of GRT groups

The National Lottery Community Fund 

Overall funding

The National Lottery Community Fund is the largest community funder in the UK. We are proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our funding aims to help communities prosper and thrive. Across the UK we fund the things that matter to communities, and in the five years from 2016–17 to 2020–21 we awarded £3.4 billion through more than 72,000 grants[3]. In a typical year, grant holders collectively support around 5.2 million beneficiaries, across the lifetime of their grant.

We reach every parliamentary constituency in the UK and over 90% of all wards received funding in the last five years. We invest in areas of greater deprivation: over the last three years, 51% (£568 million) of our total funding went to the 30% of local areas in England with the highest levels of deprivation. About 42% of our funding goes to the areas identified as highest priority for the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. The half of local areas with highest levelling up need received 63% of all funding. In 2020-21, the value of our funding in the highest priority Levelling Up Fund areas in England was 14% higher than average over the previous three years, with the number of grants 60% higher.

Funding for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities

Over the last five years[4], we have supported Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities in the UK with 292 awards totalling £46.7 million. Out of this total, England has received 253 awards totalling £41 million. We have made significant progress in the way in which we engage GRT-led groups we haven’t funded before but will continue to ensure they remain adequately represented in our funding. Our average award size to projects with GRT beneficiaries is around £160,000 – more than three times the overall UK average of £47,000. The proportion of the total value of awards is increasingly slightly year on year.

Overall, our awards in England focusing on GRT beneficiaries have a greater emphasis on the following themes: advice, rights and responsibilities; formal education, skills and training; life skills and informal education; crime, bullying and abuse; and disadvantage. As our response details, our funding is for everyone, and we are committed to fairness and inclusion. Our vision is one of thriving communities where every person is valued and has equal opportunities, including supporting GRT children and young people overcome the barriers they might face.

Within The National Lottery Community Fund, we have an active community of practice aimed at addressing the challenges GRT communities face. The group brings together staff members from across the UK with an interest in improving our funding of GRT groups. It aims to explore funding opportunities; share learning, practical experience and advice; develop internal knowledge and skills; provide advice and guidance to staff; and reach out to GRT groups and make them aware of our funding.

Key messages in more detail 

1. The educational challenges faced by children and young people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller backgrounds, including those in fixed housing.

The Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) community is not homogeneous and includes Gypsies, Roma, Irish Travellers (Minceir), Welsh Gypsies and Travellers, Scottish Travellers, Showmen, Circus families, and Bargees. The term GRT will be used as shorthand throughout this response to describe the broad range of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups that live in the UK. These communities have rich cultural histories and wish to preserve and celebrate them, regardless of being nomadic or living in fixed housing.

GRT communities represent some of the most disadvantaged groups in UK society[5]. They face particular barriers in accessing important public services and a lack of cultural understanding perpetuates the stigma and barriers these groups encounter. Within these communities, some individuals can experience multiple disadvantage, which can exacerbate inequalities. For example, GRT communities experience many barriers to healthcare and women in these communities particularly experience large disparities in health outcomes. GRT mothers are 20 times more likely to experience the death of a child than mothers in the general population[6]. An intersectional lens is therefore required to fully understand the interconnected nature of inequalities faced by GRT community members.

Educational challenges – the context

The 2011 Census found that for Gypsies and Irish Travellers in England and Wales, 60 per cent have no formal education qualification, more than any other ethnic group and almost three times the rate across England and Wales. Figures also indicate that 47 per cent are economically active compared to 63 per cent for all England and Wales, and the lowest proportion for any ethnic group[7].

The Census also revealed that Gypsy and Irish Traveller ethnic groups were among the highest providers of unpaid care in England and Wales at 11 per cent and provided the highest proportion of people providing 50 hours or more of unpaid care at 4 per cent (compared to 2 per cent for England and Wales as a whole)[8]. This includes young carers who often have lower educational attainment due to the pressures of caring responsibilities and disrupted education.

Racism, discrimination and prejudice

In 2004 Sir Trevor Phillips, then the Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), described discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities as “the last respectable form of racism.”[9] A study 10 years later by the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups and Anglia Ruskin University found that 9 out of 10 GRT children in the UK have suffered racial abuse and that two thirds of children from these groups have been bullied or physically attacked[10].

Racist bullying is often cited as the key reason for GRT pupils dropping out or being excluded from school[11]. Recent analysis has found that GRT children are excluded from school at much higher rates than the general population, with Roma children nine times more likely to be suspended in some areas[12]. This disproportionate exclusion has a detrimental impact on wellbeing and attainment levels. National research indicates that mental health problems intensify when children are excluded from school, significantly worsening educational prospects and reducing access to mental health support or specialist educational services[13]. This underlines the importance of projects that address bullying and hate crime in education settings, as well as among the general public.

Many of our grants aim to address the discrimination that GRT groups face. For example, London Gypsies and Travellers used our funding to work with young Travellers to develop a social educational toolkit and educational boardgame that celebrated Gypsy and Traveller cultures and helped to increase engagement, reduce prejudice and improve integration and inclusion.

Case study on tackling racist bullying in schools: “Crystal’s Vardo” play

We provided funding to Friends, Families and Travellers to produce a play, “Crystal’s Vardo”, weaving the histories and cultures of the GRT communities together[14]. Through powerful and compelling theatre, the story is told through the eyes of Crystal, a young Gypsy girl who has been bullied at school. Crystal is one among many GRT young people who experience racist bullying at school and for this reason does not continue into secondary education.

The play aims to:

• Raise awareness about the rich histories and cultures of GRT communities, as well as persecution through the centuries and how this manifests as anti-Gypsyism today
• Influence and initiate change by inspiring empathy and compassion in audiences
• Affirm the cultural identity of GRT people by exploring and celebrating the respective cultures and identities
• Inspire dialogue and break down barriers between communities

“Crystal’s Vardo” has toured almost 60 schools around the country, teaching pupils about the histories of GRT communities[15]. Resources have also been developed to accompany the play and performances have often been followed with a discussion and a teacher’s pack to provide an opportunity for the themes to be discussed[16]. When 45 teachers were asked, 89% said that their knowledge of the history and culture of GRT communities had increased significantly as a result of seeing “Crystal’s Vardo”. Of those, 58% said that they knew little or nothing about the histories of GRT cultures beforehand. One teacher commented that the play gave “a very powerful message to children with regards to appreciating the impact of discriminatory language towards other children.”

“Crystal’s Vardo” has not only been performed in schools but has also reached colleges, youth offending units, prisons, and conferences. It is hoped the play continues touring and educating a wide range of audiences across the country.

Poverty and educational disadvantage

Many GRT groups experience high levels of poverty. Living on a low income has a significant impact on the educational experience and attainment of GRT children and young people. As a result of poverty, many pupils experience hunger and ill health which leads to fatigue and poor concentration. In 2017-18, 41.1 per cent of GRT pupils at the end of key stage 2 and 33.7 per cent at the end of key stage 4 were registered for Free School Meals[17]. There are also GRT pupils living in poverty who do not receive Free School Meals - due to eligibility criteria or parents not applying for qualifying benefits - thereby missing out on free, healthy meals.

We have provided funding to help ensure GRT children receive nutritious food, which improves their concentration levels and ability to learn at school. We awarded funding to Divercity, an organisation based in Glasgow, to run breakfast clubs and free fruit distribution for children aged five to eight at registered Traveller sites. This offer was also used as a way to build trust and provide other support, including delivering a community day in partnership with the East End Mobile Play Team to engage children and their parents in exercise, learn about nations participating in the 2014 Commonwealth Games and celebrate the centenary of the first Scottish Traveller community in the east end of Glasgow.

Poverty acts as a barrier in other ways, including limiting the learning resources GRT children have. This was particularly heightened during the national lockdowns, with the move to online teaching and learning. A study in 2018 found that only 38% of Gypsies and Travellers (33% if housed) had a household internet connection, compared to 86% of the general population[18].

On behalf of the government, we distributed funding from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund to tackle digital exclusion during the pandemic. We funded The Traveller Movement to deliver the “Tutors for GRT” project, which provided bespoke online tutoring based on individual and family needs. Each family had an initial one-to-one phone call with a project worker to discuss their child’s needs, digital access, and availability. Technology resources and internet connections were subsequently provided, and the tutoring occurred weekly through a safe platform during term time and outside school hours. The organisation used its long-established good relationships with the wider GRT sector to receive referrals and expressions of interest, as well as liaising with schools and local authorities and encouraging engagement through word of mouth. This ensured continual recruitment of GRT pupils and trust to be built among communities.

Poorer access to education and other services

GRT groups can face extraordinary challenges in accessing services. GRT communities are often invisible to services, even those that try and address inclusion and equality, and may even have been refused access to services in the past. Many GRT communities are also geographically located on the outskirts of society away from local services, such as health, education and local authorities. Poorer access to services has been exemplified by the shorter average life expectancy among GRT groups. Research indicates the disparity could be as much as 25 years - for example the average life expectancy for Gypsies and Irish Travellers in Leeds is about 50 years of age, compared to 78 years of age among the settled population[19].

Our funding has aimed to improve access to services for GRT communities. Help with improving access to services is important but GRT groups need to know about the services in the first place. We aim to increase knowledge of services and fund signposting and outreach models to improve access. We have funded organisations to signpost to hundreds of different mainstream agencies, helping with access to education provision, vital health services and new or more secure accommodation in local authority caravan sites, social and private housing.

We have also awarded grants to public sector bodies to tackle poor access and uptake of services. Leeds City Council used funding for the “Mapping Roma South Yorkshire” project aimed at tackling Roma exclusion in South Yorkshire through engaging with communities and supporting organisations to identify gaps in existing services. We also funded Pembrokeshire County Council to deliver the “Unity in 2 the Community” project, which worked with Gypsy and Traveller communities to improve health and wellbeing and provide support and advice on accessing services.

Case study on addressing mental health and education challenges: “It’s Kushti to Rokker” project

From 2019 to 2020, the National Lottery Community Fund provided funding to Rural Media for the “It’s Kushti to Rokker” project. “It’s Kushti to Rokker” means “it’s good to talk” in English Romany. The project set out to create a series of films that could stimulate debate about the interface between mental health and the education system and the reciprocal relationship between the two.

During 2019, a group of six young people who had lived experience of the challenges faced by GRT young people worked with writers and filmmakers to create the “It’s Kushti to Rokker” series of short films. These films were based on their real-life experiences and aimed to inspire and support other young people to speak up and seek help where they need it.

Alongside the five films[20], a 10-minute documentary presented by Romani activist Betsy Mobey was created, aimed at policymakers, education and health care professionals, to improve knowledge of Gypsy and Traveller ethnicities and cultures and the barriers young people can encounter in fulfilling their potential and getting the support they need.

The project also set out to create two resources designed to be used alongside the series of films:

• an information pack for young people and their families to find useful information about relevant support services[21]
• a toolkit, created to support practitioners working with young people looking to facilitate discussions on mental health and wellbeing and including information on useful resources designed to enhance and support service providers' understanding of, and engagement with, GRT communities[22]

The project achieved its intended outcomes across key areas of impact[23]. Telephone interviews with project participants revealed that they felt proud to have been able to depict their lived experiences and those of their communities. Many felt increased confidence at presenting their stories through the platform of the films and being able to talk about their own emotions and mental health. There was a strong sense from the young people that they have been able to act as advocates and as a voice for their communities, with the hope of breaking down stigma and reducing isolation.

The project has also had a positive impact on policy and practice. At the time of the evaluation, five facilitated screenings had already been held with 147 external stakeholders. As a result of the films, service providers and policymakers agreed that they had a greater understanding of GRT communities and awareness of the challenges faced. The stakeholders expressed their desire to use the toolkits in their work, ensuring they were better equipped to support mental health issues among GRT young people. Further screenings have been planned with NHS policy leaders for NHS England. 

2. How the Government’s £1 million education programme for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children should be targeted.

The term “Gypsy, Roma and Travellers” is difficult to define as it does not constitute a single, homogeneous group but encompasses a range of groups with different histories, cultures and beliefs. Problems of definition have affected the statistics available, with population estimates ranging from 62,000 in England, Scotland and Wales[24] to 100,000 to 200,000 Gypsy/Travellers and up to 200,000 Roma people in the UK[25].

In July 2021, the UK Government announced a new £1 million education programme for GRT children and young people[26]. The programme is very welcome, but its aim to reach a total of 600 children and young people across 150 schools means it is likely that additional funding and support will be needed to address the scale of these entrenched issues and specifically meet the needs of all GRT children and young people who would benefit from extra support.

The range of targeted work involved in the pilot programmes is welcome and addresses key educational challenges faced by GRT children, young people and families, including high drop-out rates from education and the number of young people not in education, employment or training. Although different GRT groups face similar discrimination, exclusion and disadvantage in society, the multiplicity of GRT cultures and communities in the UK must also be recognised within the government’s programme. Terms should be understood and applied correctly, so as not to create additional barriers. Individual groups have their own cultural differences and do not necessarily experience the same challenges. In particular, Roma groups have distinct differences regarding religion, heritage and language. Some Roma groups also have the additional disadvantage of facing immigration issues.

Likewise, the barriers in education faced by GRT children and young people are multiple and varied, necessitating a tailored, person-centred approach to delivering support. In light of this, the programmes should engage directly with GRT pupils to understand the specific barriers they face and what support and guidance they would like to receive. Steps should be taken to avoid generalisations or making assumptions. What works in one location with one group may not necessarily work in another location with a similar group, for example.

3. Whether other initiatives and recommendations are needed to support the educational attainment and employment outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children.

We have distributed funding to a range of initiatives that support the educational attainment and employment outcomes for GRT children and young people, along with celebrating the strong history and culture of GRT communities. We have aimed to do this through supporting and empowering GRT civil society organisations, both large and small.

Supporting and empowering GRT civil society groups

Over recent decades, the number of established GRT civil society groups has increased significantly with a greater number of smaller, local groups being established, not least with support from National Lottery funding. This represents a considerable opportunity, which we have helped to enable. The move to a more conversational approach has helped more GRT groups become successful in receiving funding, as more support can be offered through the application process. Once successful, we continue to support groups through an increased number of visits and conversations, particularly to support their confidence and experience in managing funds.

We have funded a number of truly GRT-led organisations, which focus solely on these communities, rather than charities working with a range of different groups. We have found through our funding that some GRT communities lack trust in mainstream organisations. This coupled with lower adult literacy and a small and scattered population makes it more of a challenge for many mainstream organisations to meet the needs of GRT communities, unless they demonstrate a willingness to focus their investment. Proactively identifying gateways into GRT communities has helped groups make contact and form meaningful relationships. Building trusting relationships also tends to be easier through longer grant periods. Trust has been built through a sustained presence and GRT community members may travel long distances to access services that they feel confident with.

We identify and share funding opportunities with GRT organisations and offer support to help develop organisations and their applications for funding. We aim to bring GRT organisations together where possible to build skills and networks. We have provided significant levels of funding to Friends, Families and Travellers, a national charity that works on behalf of all Gypsies, Travellers and Roma people. This includes nearly £2 million of funding for its Roadside Futures project, which is operating through a partnership formed by 13 different organisations. This collaborative project is enabling grassroots project work, capacity building and support to address issues, including education and health, for families living on roadside camps. The partnership’s mission is to create tipping points across public bodies, government and society to improve interaction with roadside GRT communities.

It is also important though that younger and smaller GRT-led organisations receive funding. Well-established organisations tend to secure funding, but smaller groups embedded in their local area can develop reach into communities in ways which can be much more meaningful and have longer term impact on individuals. This is particularly true for young people furthest from education and the labour market. Therefore, there is a need to support a growing GRT civil society landscape with smaller and newer organisations to address education and employment challenges for GRT young people.

Where we haven’t funded charities that aren’t led by GRT communities, these organisations are usually focused on improving race equality, community cohesion or skills development in their local communities.

Addressing unemployment and boosting employability

GRT groups would like to be treated the same as the wider population and have equal access to employment opportunities. Yet GRT communities experience low employment rates and national initiatives created to address unemployment often fail to address the needs of these groups, particularly training in practical skills and opportunities to obtain qualifications for the skills they already have.

Increasing the availability of entry level employment roles within GRT civil society is crucial for tackling lower levels of employment and has additional benefits. These roles are perceived as safer for young people than non-GRT employment opportunities, especially in terms of fair recruitment and avoiding unpleasant experiences of racism or stereotyping. They can also have a huge impact on attitudes towards education and employment within families, for instance the younger sister of an employed sibling may be more motivated to complete education.

We have provided funding for employability and skills projects that specifically support GRT children and young people. Local GRT groups have a vital role to play in developing appropriate employment opportunities as a first step to joining the wider employment market. We have provided £500,000 of funding to Article 12 in Scotland, for instance, to address gaps in the education and work experience of GRT young people aged 13 to 25. Through individually tailored programmes of learning and development opportunities, young people have been able to gain new skills and accredited qualifications that will increase access to employment opportunities. It has also enabled them to develop softer skills, including improving their self-confidence and self-esteem.

Funding to improve wider life skills

We fund initiatives that help GRT communities develop valuable life skills, such as access to benefits, digital awareness and sessions on improving confidence. Building these skills supports broader education, employment and wellbeing outcomes.

We provided funding to the Travellers Times, a platform providing access to information, promoting the history and culture of Traveller communities, and encouraging participation in civic life. Funding has been used to improve access to services and deliver support, information and training courses throughout England to members of Traveller groups to gain practical skills, such as digital training. We also supported The National Association of Citizens Advice Bureau to create an e-learning programme to deliver and evaluate training, with the outcome of improving their advice for GRT communities. This project was based in Islington but served beneficiaries across the UK.

Celebrating and promoting GRT history and culture

Our funding is not only focused on barriers, such as low educational attainment, but also activities that positively and actively promote strong history and culture and encourage community cohesion. Through our funding, we aim to celebrate and build on the strengths of GRT communities. GRT groups have a rich linguistic and cultural history through music, art, storytelling and oral histories, clothing styles, crafts, jewellery, and annual and seasonal social gatherings and festivals.

We have distributed small awards for one-off festivals and events bringing communities together, both GRT and non-GRT, to enhance local people’s knowledge and combat negative stereotyping. These complement efforts made in schools to celebrate GRT history month in June and wider teaching of GRT history and culture. Examples of how our funding has been used include “A Day in the Life of a Romany Gypsy” which celebrated the Romany Gypsy culture in Derbyshire, and “Govanhill St Nicholas Day” which celebrated the Roma community in Glasgow, with a focus on children and young people at Christmas time. Such events can help children and young people feel that their heritage and culture is recognised and welcomed in their schools and communities, fostering a sense of belonging and identity which positively impacts wellbeing.

Conclusion and key recommendations

It is clear that children and young people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) backgrounds face a wide range of stark education challenges. High levels of racism, discrimination and prejudice place GRT children and young people at an increased risk of experiencing mental health issues and low educational attainment, with pupils more likely to drop out or be excluded from school. This combined with high rates of poverty and unemployment and poor access to public services means GRT communities are among the most disadvantaged groups in the UK. Limited progress has been made in preceding decades to reduce inequalities. Alongside community members, a concerted effort will be needed across these key drivers to transform the life chances of GRT children and young people. 

Based on key learnings from our funding, we recommend that GRT children, young people and communities are supported and empowered through:

• Awareness-raising and projects that combat racism and discrimination in schools and wider society
• Poverty mitigation measures, for instance provision of free, healthy meals and learning resources, including digital devices
• Signposting and support to help GRT communities access key services, including education, health and housing
• Funding to support a growing GRT civil society network, particularly smaller, local groups who have the greatest reach
• Employability support tailored to GRT communities with a focus on roles within GRT organisations
• Initiatives that support wider life skills, including access to benefits and digital training
• Events that celebrate the strong histories and cultures of GRT groups

January 2022