Challenging hate
We believe that everyone has a responsibility to stand up against hate, prejudice and negative stereotypes and that the government has a duty to prevent and punish discrimination and hate crime.
44% of British adults openly express negative attitudes against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities - more than for any other protected characteristic group. Police officers consider hate crime to be the most common issue Gypsies, Roma and Travellers report to them, but less than 15% of hate incidents are reported to the police. The press often share misleading and hate-provoking messages about Gypsies, Roma and Travellers and the government's hate crime action plan does not go far enough to prevent hate crime against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
"I am grateful for all the support Rosie has given me, I don't know what I would do without her help, she's been amazing. FFT is more helpful than other advice organisations I had approached before, which didn't offer the kind of support and help like Rosie has given, thank you so much"
Dean
Every year, our casework and outreach teams help over 1300 families with issues ranging from homelessness to hate crime, education to health, and much more. Our dedicated team of national caseworkers and outreach support workers help people to challenge hate, discrimination and racism by:
- Supporting people to take action when they have experienced discrimination;
- Reporting hate crime to the police to strengthen calls for stronger government action; and Providing advocacy interventions to support individuals who experience hate.
We work at a local and national level to:
- Change hearts and minds so fewer people hold prejudicial views on Gypsies, Roma and Travellers;
- Increase public leadership on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller inclusion;
- Challenge hate in the media by sharing positive stories and condemning racism;
- Challenge hate and prejudice among public figures;
- Improve social connections between travelling and settled communities;
Our key tools and forums we use to bring about change in this area include:
- Our work with GATE Herts and ReportRacismGRT to report hate speech and hate crime;
- Our work with media, regulators, writers and film professionals to improve authenticity and diversity of Gypsy and Traveller representations within the media landscape;
- The Ministry of Justice and Home Office Race Hate Independent Advisory Group, of which we are a member;
- Our Online Cultural Awareness Training which is accessed by over 2500 people every year;
- Our touring theatre production Crystal's Vardo which is seen by over 2000 people every year;
- The APPG for Gypsies, Travellers and Roma, to which we act as Secretariat;
- Our work with partnership organisations, including Equally Ours, the Anti-Bullying Alliance and the Coalition of Race Equality Organisations; and
- International Human Rights treaty making bodies, such as the United Nations.
We carry out research to:
- investigate and expose unfair treatment against Gypsy and Traveller communities in wider society and social structures; and
- amplify the experiences of Gypsy and Traveller people across social institutions such as healthcare.
Friends, Families and Travellers policy briefing on key issues faced by Gypsy and Traveller communities in race hate and discrimination - view here.
To view our full range of reports and publications on challenging hate visit our Policy and Publications section.
