What to learn about Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Historical past Month in Cambridgeshire

Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Historical past Month takes place each June to have fun the lives of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) communities and to coach others concerning the histories and experiences of GRT folks. The most important GRT group within the UK lives in and across the East of England, with practically 10,000 caravans in Cambridgeshire.

The GRT group has a wealthy and numerous historical past, spanning many a whole bunch of years and throughout totally different nations and cultures. There are numerous totally different teams who fall beneath the umbrella, together with Roma folks, Travelling Showpeople, Liveaboard Boaters, and New Travellers.

This 12 months’s theme for GRT Historical past Month is “What makes a house?” It’s supposed that individuals will think about what “dwelling” means for the GRT group, and that it will make folks extra welcoming to and thoughtful of native GRT communities.

Learn extra: 1000’s return to Cambridge Strawberry Truthful after pageant’s three-year hiatus

Cambridgeshire has a big GRT inhabitants, with practically 42% of GRT folks throughout the UK dwelling within the county. Right here’s what it’s essential learn about GRT folks and their historical past in Cambridgeshire.

What have the lives of GRT folks been like all through historical past?

Associates, Households and Travellers (FFT) is a nationwide charity working to finish racism and discrimination in opposition to GRT folks, and to guard the precise to pursue a nomadic lifestyle. For GRT Historical past Month in 2022, they’ve launched a booklet with details about GRT histories and cultures.

In accordance with FFT, Romany Gypsies have been recorded in Britain within the 1500s, having travelled from northern India and thru Europe. The time period ‘Gypsy’ originated from the phrase ‘Egyptian’, which settled folks used as a consequence of their darker pores and skin color.

Over the past 500 years, GRT lives, automobiles, and houses have appeared very totally different. Within the 1800s, Romany folks travelled in “bender tents”, however most individuals these days use mechanised caravans within the locations of horse-drawn wagons.

In 2008, Scottish Gypsy Travellers grew to become recognised as an indigenous ethnic minority group in Britain, whereas Irish Travellers have been recognised as a definite ethnic group in Eire and Eire’s solely indigenous group in 2017.

What are a few of the points that GRT folks face as we speak?

In 2020, England’s Excessive Courtroom dominated that native authorities can now not place blanket bans on Gypsies and Travellers stopping particularly locations. This ruling was reached as a result of “the Gypsy and Traveller group have an enshrined freedom to not keep in a single place however to maneuver from one place to a different.”

Nevertheless, the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act of 2022 implies that trespass is now a prison offence. Which means GRT individuals who journey throughout elements of the UK are prone to having their automobiles and houses confiscated, in addition to doubtlessly receiving fines and imprisonment as punishments.

What brings GRT folks to Cambridgeshire?

In accordance with Capturing Cambridge: “The GRT communities have performed an enormous half within the agricultural trade for the final 5 centuries.” Because the East of England has a number of farmland and agriculture, GRT communities have moved to work right here.

These days, GRT persons are additionally employed in lots of different industries, together with landscaping, gardening, laying tarmac, motor buying and selling, scrap metallic dealing, and tree felling. Many additionally work in public sector jobs, like instructing.

How is GRT Historical past Month being celebrated throughout the UK?

Throughout the UK, GRT Historical past Month is being celebrated in many various methods. For instance, The Traveller Motion are sharing tales about GRT artists by means of time on their Twitter feed, whereas a manufacturing referred to as Crystal’s Vardo, which “teaches audiences concerning the wealthy historical past of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers by means of the eyes of a younger lady”, has been travelling by means of the UK.

In Cambridge, the Midsummer Truthful is going down this month, with 1000’s of individuals gathering to get pleasure from leisure from musicians and circus performers. It has a robust reference to the GRT group, who’ve been an integral a part of the Truthful for over 800 years.

There are additionally campaigns to lift consciousness; in South Cambridgeshire, the district council is “operating employees data periods to lift consciousness and sort out prejudice”. They’ve additionally shared suggestions of books, podcasts, TV, and movies for folks to be taught extra concerning the group.