GYPSY TRAVELLER HEALTH AMBASSADORS

Soft Touch has been commissioned by the NHS East Midlands Pacesetters
Programme to produce a DVD with Gypsy Traveller Health Ambassadors.
The project brings together health professionals and the Gypsy and Traveller community. The Ambassadors meet with organisations to allow dialogue, information sharing and the promotion of understanding about Gypsy Traveller culture and lifestyle.  This process breaks down barriers and misunderstandings and improves access for this marginalised community to health and other local services.

There are approximately thirty women from the Irish Traveller, Gypsy Roma and New Age Traveller communities who take part. We are working with them to produce a DVD to be used by health care professionals and the Ambassadors themselves. 

We are working alongside Lynne Hartwell, the Leicester City NHS nurse for Gypsies and Travellers, who manages the project.Four of the women have given their presentation at the Soft Touch Studios and this was filmed for the DVD. Other parts of the DVD will feature the women talking about Gypsy life and there will also be sections on the history and origins of Gypsies and Travellers. Short dramas or animations written by the women will illustrate common misconceptions about Gypsies. The DVD will promote the positive work that Lynne and the women have been doing in Leicester and Leicestershire.



If your organisation would like to book a Health Ambassadors session or you would like further information please contact Lynne Hartwell at New Parks Health Centre, 0116 295 8759
The project contact at Soft Touch is Chris Wigmore, 0116 270 2706, chris@soft-touch.org.uk