Gypsy, Roma & Traveller History Month 2024

Every June since 2008, people from across the UK have celebrated Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month (GRTHM). Through celebration, education and raising awareness, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month helps to tackle prejudice, change the story, and amplify the voices of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in wider society.

This year’s theme is “What does ‘family’ mean to you?”, and we decided to mark the occasion with residents at our Rosemeadow View site, Bristol, taking the time to explore what family means to our Gypsy and Traveller communities.

The day was filled with laughter as families joined together to take part in traditional fairground games, face painting, craft activities and the sharing of food. Residents were asked to share what family means to them and many took the opportunity to share and celebrate their rich family histories and experiences.

To ensure all residents across our Gypsy and Traveller sites had the opportunity to take part, we held multiple mini events across our other sites enabling everyone to get involved and come together to mark the occasion and here's what our customers had to say:

"Family means all coming together and enjoying each others company, having your own smaller community within your community and having everyone chip in and staying with each other during hard times." Katie, resident.

"Me and my husband are head of our family we have been married for 37 years, we hold together our family of 4 children and 16 grandchildren." Jane, resident.

"This community is my family, I couldn't live anywhere else." Amelia, resident.

Elim is proud to be one of the largest providers of Gypsy and Traveller sites in the UK. We recognise the importance of the specialist services we offer and maintain a firm commitment to growing this aspect of our organisation in size and geographically. This will be achieved through new management or support service contracts and facilitated through joint working and formal collaboration with new and existing partners and commissioners.

To find out more about the services Elim offer or to find out about our pitch waiting lists, please call us on 01454 411172. Alternatively, you can email us at info@elimhousing.co.uk