How many gypsies are there in the uk

In reality, European Roma populations are made up of various subgroups, some with their own form of Romani, who often identify as that group rather than by the all-encompassing Roma identity. Travellers and Roma each have very different customs, religion, language and heritage. For instance, Gypsies are said to have originated in India and the Romani language also spoken by Roma is considered to consist of at least seven varieties, each a language in their own right.

Family anniversaries, births, weddings and funerals are usually marked by extended family or community gatherings with strong religious ceremonial content. Gypsies and Travellers generally marry young and respect their older generation. Contrary to frequent media depiction, Traveller communities value cleanliness and tidiness. Many Irish Travellers are practising Catholics, while some Gypsies and Travellers are part of a growing Christian Evangelical movement.

Gypsy and Traveller culture has always adapted to survive and continues to do so today. A study in Ireland put the suicide rate of Irish Traveller men as times higher than the wider population.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the same phenomenon is happening amongst Traveller communities in the UK. Gypsies and Travellers are also adapting to new ways, as they have always done. Most of the younger generation and some of the older generation use social network platforms to stay in touch and there is a growing recognition that reading and writing are useful tools to have.

Many Gypsies and Travellers utilise their often remarkable array of skills and trades as part of the formal economy. Low attainment, literacy and numeracy at a young age trap Romani and Travellers in low paid, uncertain work as adults. Discrimination and abuse compound this disenfranchising experience. The UK Roma support organisation Equality has described the low wage and temporary contracts culture, commonly organised and enforced by gangmasters, which is faced by many Roma in the UK.

This vulnerable position is often exploited with many forced to live in sub-standard accommodation, shared with other families. The consequences of this lifestyle include poor physical and mental health, and life expectancy 10 years below the UK average.

Many local authorities and service provider organisations are unaware of the numbers, locations or needs of the Romani and Traveller communities residing in their areas. Even in prisons, where Roma are thought to be vastly over-represented officially 14 per cent of the prison population identifies as Roma, Gypsy or Traveller — the prison system does not distinguish — compared to around 0.

This lack of knowledge contributes to their inability to provide suitable services for Roma communities. With signs all around that Britain is becoming less welcoming to us and more hostile in , it seems some very important lessons of history have been forgotten.

Progress toward this recognition would be aided by greater appreciation of the historic suffering of Roma during the Second World War and by Europe-wide acknowledgement of our particular tragedy.

They live together on council sites. Gypsy culture is built on strict codes of cleanliness, says Mr Bowers. Concepts such as mokadi and mahrime place strict guidelines on what objects can be washed in what bowls. Gypsies view gorgias non-Gypsies as unclean because of the way they live. For example, Gypsies and travellers rarely let animals inside their homes because they believe them to be carriers of disease, according to Mr Bowers. Ms O'Malley added that communities also lent money amongst themselves, so people who appeared poor could spend a lot of money on a wedding because the community had given it to them.

And Mr Jones agrees, saying: "They don't travel aimlessly; they go from place to place for a reason. Historically, Gypsies and travellers do not attend schools as they see them as places where children will be bullied for their way of life.

Girls are often expected to help at home caring for their younger siblings, whereas boys are often expected to be working with their fathers receiving, in effect, an apprenticeship in how to earn a living, says Mr Bowers.

Travellers or Gypsies can have difficulty in Britain doing the jobs they used to do because they have either been replaced by a cheaper alternative, such as eastern Europeans undertaking agricultural work, or machines which have replaced what they used to do, according to Ms O'Malley.

As many do not have any education although in recent years this is changing and more travellers and Gypsies are going to school according to the Irish Travellers Movement in Britain they cannot apply for licences to be able to do these jobs as they only have basic reading skills, so instead they go to France, Germany or the Netherlands to earn a living.

O'Roarke is expecting to be the only Traveller liaison worker in the capital before long — her funding comes from the Irish government. Who is supposed to help them if they get rid of the bit of support they have now?

If they get a letter saying they are in danger of eviction but they can't read it, what are they supposed to do? Conditions on the site are as grim as the homes are spotless. The trailers are not connected to water pipes, and the toilets, bathrooms and cooking facilities are in a small, unheated shed across the yard. But living on a site is about being part of the community.

When Traveller girls are growing up, they are only allowed to go out with other family members, and once married, her husband rules the roost. Almost immediately her children became depressed. He would buck to get out," says Kathleen. I was on anti-depressives.

The children couldn't go out because the neighbours would complain about the noise. Since moving to their site two years ago, Kathleen and her children have been far happier. They won't let our kids mix with theirs because they say we stink and don't talk properly. Settled kids won't even play sports with ours in case they touch them. Mary, Kathleen's year-old daughter, is upset by the series too, and says that she has faced further prejudice since it hit the screens.

All my friends are asking if it's true what they show on telly, and I think they've gone different [towards me] since it was shown.