Community Development Project
March 2025 was a busy month here at the Wicklow Travellers Group Community Development Project. During the month of March, we ran a total of 6 weekly youth groups throughout the County Wicklow area. These groups are listed below:
- Wicklow Boys 13 – 16
- Boys & Men 16+
- Wicklow Girls 11 – 15
- Arklow Girls 10 – 16
- Kilcoole Mixed Group 10 – 16
- Wicklow Mixed Group 10 – 12
Over the past month we have done many different activities with the groups. The boys and mens group have been learning about healthy living and exercise by playing indoor handball on a weekly basis.
Our girls’ groups have been introduced to beauty and hair styling in their respective youth groups. The mixed group in Wicklow have just had a sports day on the CEART grounds. The 13 – 16 boys’ group have had their time during the group to have an attempt at the Driver Theory Test and to learn the importance of safe driving. The Kilcoole mixed group have been having fun baking and cooking at their group.
Sinead and Jim have been keeping up on their weekly workshops with the Traveller students at a local secondary school in Wicklow. At the last workshops the children came together to craft wagons from lollipop sticks to show their cultural background and to take pride in their identity as an Irish Traveller.
The Wicklow Traveller Group’s Educational Community Development Worker has implemented a range of initiatives over the past year, with significant progress in establishing youth groups, strengthening relationships with schools, and addressing barriers to education for Traveller and Roma children and young people. The work focuses on breaking negative cycles of disengagement with education and fostering positive educational experiences, ultimately aiming to improve long-term outcomes for the community.
With the ongoing support of community partners and the appointment of a male youth leader, Wicklow Traveller Group is reaching a wider network of young people. Facilitated courses with wraparound supports will continue to empower the community, ensuring that individual strengths are recognized and nurtured. By working in partnership with schools, families, and local services, we are building a more inclusive and supportive educational landscape for Traveller and Roma children and young people in County Wicklow.
Primary Healthcare Project
March has been a very busy month for the Wicklow Traveller Primary Healthcare project. Look at SOME of the things we’ve been doing:
The active age continued throughout February and into march. Our first six-week program focused on creativity, upcycling, and horticulture. However, beyond these skills, the project had deeper benefits—it helped improve grip strength, balance, and hand-eye coordination. The activities involved light lifting, bending, and movement, while tactile elements like sanding, planting, and handling soil contributed to sensory integration and regulation. Beyond the physical and sensory benefits, the project fostered laughter, conversation, storytelling, and peer support—key elements in maintaining positive mental health and well-being. Safe, welcoming spaces like Active Age groups, especially those designed and led by their members, are essential in ensuring our aging population remains healthy, engaged, and valued within our community.
The focus of the next block centred on caring. This included caring for others, caring for ourselves and being cared for. Activities included meeting with Barry from Family Carers Ireland, who shared information with the group about their rights and entitlements as carers. He also supported number of people to deal with issues they were experiencing in their role as family carers. Other activities included movie and treats where the members watched Hairspray. Hairspray tackle’s themes of racial segregation and discrimination, focusing on the integration of black performers into mainstream entertainment. Members of our group could relate to the experience of discrimination experienced by the characters in the show. Overall, Hairspray recognises the importance of inclusion, challenging discrimination, and celebrating cultural contributions. The group also participated in fun activities such as bingo and makeovers.
Up to 11 members of the community completed the 6 week living well course, held in CEART on the 11th of March. The Living Well Programme is a 6-week, evidence-based self-management course designed for adults living with chronic or long-term health conditions. This free programme provides the tools, skills, and confidence to live well despite ongoing health challenges. The programme covered practical tools for managing conditions – from making healthier lifestyle choices, managing medications, and improving emotional well-being, to setting and achieving personal goals. Over the 6 weeks, participants got support from trained leaders (at least one of whom lives with a long-term condition) and fellow group members in a friendly, relaxed environment.
Topics explored included:
Managing symptoms and fatigue
Dealing with emotions, stress, and depression
Managing pain and making informed treatment decisions
Healthy eating and exercise
Communication skills and managing medicines
Through supporting Traveller groups to participate in the Living Well programme we achieved meeting several key sections of the National Traveller Health Action Plan (NTHAP), particularly in terms of improving access to health services, promoting health and preventing illness, and supporting families and carers. It also addressed mental health and wellbeing by offering strategies for managing emotions and stress, while enhancing health literacy and communication through skills development. Furthermore, the programme supported integrated health and social care by fostering community connections and collaboration with healthcare providers. An evaluation was conducted by Colm Harty and Mary Gowing, we are awaiting the findings of this, but initial feedback was very positive. Members of the PHC who completed the course have committed to bringing their learning out to the community and have agreed to promoting the programme within the wider community.
WTG in partnership with KWETB ran a six-week sewing course through February and March. Expertly guided by facilitator Lucy Moller from @refashioned. Participants included women from the Primary Healthcare team, Active age, and Shuttle knit. This prime example of Lifelong learning allowed beginners and those whose skills had not been used in a while to learn and relearn the art of sewing. Everyone had a project to complete from stitching curtains, to repairing much loved clothing, to creating bags and purses from scratch. Beyond the sense of empowerment achieved through learning and creating. Participants benefited from the camaraderie offered through peer support across the generations of women. Peer support and a sense of belonging has long been recognised as a determinant of positive mental health, as has the learning of a new skill. Seligman’s PERMA model of Happiness suggests that Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement are the five pillars of happiness. Subjective happiness aligns with positive mental health. Anecdotal feedback from participants suggest that PERMA was achieved through this programme. This initiative aligns with the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) 1 and 2, promoting education, employment, and health improvements for Irish Travellers. It fosters social inclusion by providing upskilling opportunities, addressing key employment and health determinants. The program also supports mental health through skills development, peer support, and a sense of belonging, in line with Ireland’s Mental Health Strategy, “Sharing the Vision.” Furthermore, it aligns with the National Traveller Health Strategy by addressing health
determinants through social inclusion, education, and empowerment, promoting overall well-being and providing opportunities for Traveller communities to thrive.
Several members of the WTG and PHCP team participated in online TCAT (Traveller Cultural awarenss training) as part of our ongoing committmemt to both upskilling ourselves as trainers and advocates the course aids us to deliver high quality cultural awareness to service providers. Thus aiding us in meeting the recommnedations outlined in the National Traveller health Action plan. Whereby It includes recommendations for healthcare providers to better understand and accommodate the cultural needs of Travellers, with an emphasis on improving access to services and reducing health inequalities.
The TPHC team also held key meetings to address health concerns within the Traveller community. The coordinator met with HSE and Sláintecare representatives to discuss reducing sunbed use among Travellers by offering a skin care workshop focused on alternatives like fake tan, with a focus on cultural competence and promoting skin health. The team also engaged with the HSE/TFC Traveller foster care team to support the sourcing of culturally appropriate foster carers for Traveller children, aligning with the National Traveller Health Action Plan. Additionally, the TPHC team attended the ‘Aging Well Together’ event, highlighting the importance of integrated care and addressing social deprivation in aging populations. Networking at the event aimed to support health initiatives like grip strength and fall prevention workshops. Lastly, the team participated in the ‘Diverse Voices’ photography exhibition, raising awareness of period dignity programs and supporting minority groups, including Travellers and Roma.
Throughout March the PHC activities promoted cultural competence and health equity by providing tailored health education, fostering community support, and addressing specific health concerns. Initiatives like skin care workshops, foster care support, and aging well programs empower the Traveller community, improve well-being, and reduce health disparities