Today, Friends, Families and Travellers, in collaboration with Roma Support Group and the Health and Wellbeing Alliance, released a new series of co-developed and co-produced resources exploring some of the questions parents of young infants may have, within Romany Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
 Aiming to support Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller parents with infant feeding and wider financial and wellbeing, these resources offer a roadmap for both professionals and community members towards appropriate and culturally pertinent healthcare support.Â
The posters and videos cover a range of issues and questions that parents may have:Â
- Support with nerves or the baby blues
- Whether feeding naturally is the right option for you and your child
- Whether formula feeding is the right option for you and your child
- How to make baby formula
- How to sterilise your baby bottleÂ
- How to support your partner with baby feeding
- Using combination feeding
- Information on different feeding methodsÂ
- Where to find support for feeding your baby
- Support with managing finances as a parent
Lulu, who is a young Romany mother and features in some of the videos, said this about the resources’ effectiveness and necessity:
“These videos are really helpful information, especially for the men in our community as this can help them to support us mothers with feeding our babies. I also think this information is very beneficial for first time mummies that are worried about how to feed their babies correctly and safely.“
Speaking about the importance of these resources, Head of Development at Friends, Families and Travellers, Michelle Gavin added:
“Too often, healthcare settings are geared towards a one-catch-all approach, failing to address the specific needs of many diverse communities, including ones made up of Romany Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller people.
These resources, which have been co-developed and co-produced with community members, are a valuable resource for both healthcare professionals who may be looking after Romany Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller families, and for community members who just need straight answers to common questions.”
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About Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT)
Friends, Families and Travellers is a leading national charity that works to end racism and discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and to protect the right to pursue a nomadic way of life.
Media Contact
Communications Team
Email: [email protected]
Additional Resources
‘Resources for healthcare professionals’. Friends, Families and Travellers. March 2025. View page.
