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The Gypsy Traveller Education project exists in Merthyr Tydfil to support the educational engagement and participation of young Gypsies and Travellers throughout the County Borough. In 2010, there were 54 children from the Gypsy Traveller community attending our schools.
Our Objectives are:
Whilst they have a cultural identity based on a nomadic tradition, today Gypsy Traveller families may or may not travel, with many of our local families being based permanently in Merthyr Tydfil. Our Gypsy Traveller young people believe it is important that their heritage is understood, nurtured and maintained. To this end, Gypsy Traveller young people from Merthyr Tydfil have contributed to a Welsh Assembly Government / Save the Children Fund website, Travelling Ahead that aims to bring Gypsy Traveller culture into our schools, so enriching the lives and experiences of all our young people. The Travelling Ahead website has a key role to play in providing a further on-line forum for young Gypsies and Travellers in Wales to have a say on issues that concern them, and to showcase the work of their forums.
We receive an annual grant from the Welsh Assembly Government that is used to educational support to the Gypsy Traveller children and young people, their families and schools. Merthyr Tydfil is fortunate to be within the Convergence Funding area of Wales, which means that alongside the annual grant from the Welsh Assembly Government, we are able to draw down additional European funding through the Gypsy Traveller Learning and Future Employment Project. This is allowing us to provide additional support for young people of secondary school age from the Gypsy and Traveller community.
The work undertaken within the Gypsy Traveller Education Service includes: