ROMA SUPPORT GROUP
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        • Stage performances by participants in our instrumental classes
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      • Roma Aspiration Project >
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        • Young Roma enjoy orienteering in Lee Valley Regional Park
        • Roma children visit Parliament
        • Building bridges and breaking barriers
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      • Mental Health Project
    • Ketane - Together: Roma Shaping Futures
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    • 'Roma Stories': Roma Oral History Project
    • Roma Support and Engagement Programme >
      • Roma Support Group Expertise
      • Specialist Support for Research and Consultation
      • Training for Professionals and the Community
      • Intervention Service for Professionals Working with Roma Families and Individuals in Crisis
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    • Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month >
      • Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month 2020
    • Robert Dawson Collection
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  • Training
    • Customised Training for Organisations
    • Public Training for Professionals >
      • Training: Roma cultural awareness
      • Training: Positive interventions for Roma in health context
      • Training: Positive interventions for Roma in education context
      • Training: Working with Roma in safeguarding context
      • Training: Working with Roma through interpreters
    • Roma Culture Workshops for Schools
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​Young Roma Advocacy Project (2010-13)

Back in Eastern Europe, none of my family members were able to work. Whenever they tried to get a job, they would be turned away as thieves and beggars. The police treated us the same way – they were applying labels on us. …Now living here, I am a football coach and I know that I wouldn’t be the same person if I had never come to Britain.

Young Roma, 21 years old
The aim of the Young Roma Advocacy Project was to assist young Roma in addressing poverty, homelessness, racism and inequality through one-to-one advocacy support and a user-led local campaign.
​
Another aim of the Project is to establish and facilitate the Roma Refugee Children/Young People Forum in East London, which aimed to:
  • increase awareness about Roma children and young people’s needs amongst statutory agencies and local government
  • improve the quality of their lives in relation to their welfare, health and realising their potentials
  • enhance confidence of young Roma by being enabled to speak about their needs, voice opinions and influence policy makers
Family group (Roma Support Group Annual General Meeting, 2011)
Roma Support Group Annual General Meeting, 2011
Conference, ‘The Big Issue for Roma – Exclusion or Engagement?’ (February 2010): Young Roma Discussion PanelConference, ‘The Big Issue for Roma – Exclusion or Engagement?’ (February 2010): Young Roma Discussion Panel
​Throughout the whole Project, 310 young Roma refugee and asylum seekers accessed our one-to-one advocacy service. Advocacy support has enabled 69% of beneficiaries to exercise their welfare rights; 48% to access healthcare and 52% of beneficiaries were supported with their homelessness issues. We also advocated for 13% of our beneficiaries to ensure their rights are exercised through the asylum process and youth justice system.
​
As a result of the Project, over 60% of young beneficiaries have made a significant and life changing ‘journey’, making progress in education, starting professional careers and becoming role models to inspire other community members.

The main vehicle for the campaign was the Young Roma Refugee and Migrant Forum in East London, which used young people’s experience and advocacy casework as evidence. Some of its main outcomes included contributing to local/ regional strategic planning and service delivery.

The model of the Young Roma Refugee and Migrant Forum has been successfully duplicated by the RSG in three other regions: Yorkshire and Humber, South East England and East of England as a part of our Roma Support & Engagement Programme (2011-13). It has also inspired our current Roma Refugee and Migrant Forum in East London (2013-15).
After this trip, I would like to become a policewoman. That way I could make sure our rights are always defended.

​Roma girl, 10 years old

Picture
Visit to the Police Station, 2011
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  • Home
    • About Us
    • Trustees
    • Staff
    • Our Funders
    • News & Events
    • History
  • Projects
    • Advice & Advocacy >
      • Advice & Advocacy Project
      • Roma Community Advocacy Project
      • Elder Roma Engagement Project (2011-14)
      • Young Roma Advocacy Project (2010-13)
    • Art & Culture >
      • Roma Bridging Sounds Orchestra
      • Instrumental music classes in East London >
        • Stage performances by participants in our instrumental classes
        • Dance classes
        • Exhibitions
        • Romani Rad
        • Promoting Roma musicians and artists
        • Visual arts workshops
        • Forum Theatre Project
    • Aspiration Project >
      • Roma Aspiration Project >
        • Education Support Projects
        • Young Roma enjoy orienteering in Lee Valley Regional Park
        • Roma children visit Parliament
        • Building bridges and breaking barriers
        • Kids’ Cookery School
    • Financial Inclusion Project
    • Health Projects >
      • Mental Health Project
    • Ketane - Together: Roma Shaping Futures
    • Policy and Campaigning
    • Roma and Brexit
    • Roma News Project
    • 'Roma Stories': Roma Oral History Project
    • Roma Support and Engagement Programme >
      • Roma Support Group Expertise
      • Specialist Support for Research and Consultation
      • Training for Professionals and the Community
      • Intervention Service for Professionals Working with Roma Families and Individuals in Crisis
    • Sport Inclusion
  • Resources
    • Newsletters
    • Our Publications
    • Annual Reports
    • Our Research
    • Resources for the Roma Community
    • Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month >
      • Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month 2020
    • Robert Dawson Collection
    • Other Resources
  • Training
    • Customised Training for Organisations
    • Public Training for Professionals >
      • Training: Roma cultural awareness
      • Training: Positive interventions for Roma in health context
      • Training: Positive interventions for Roma in education context
      • Training: Working with Roma in safeguarding context
      • Training: Working with Roma through interpreters
    • Roma Culture Workshops for Schools
  • Vacancies
    • Jobs
    • Volunteering
  • Membership
  • Contact