Author: Brian Foster

Mediator training oversubscribed

Applications closed on Thursday November 15th for the Council of Europe course for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller mediators. There was a good response with over 50 people applying for 27 places. ACERT, which is organising the course on behalf of the Council of Europe, has offered places to all applicants who have Gypsy, Roma or Traveller ethnicities, completed their applications by the deadline and said they could definitely attend the course. Those who were not offered places may still have the opportunity to attend if initial offers of places are not taken up. Unfilled places will be offered on Wednesday November 21st. If there is a significant number of disappointed applicants ACERT will make the case for another course in the future.

Thank you to all who applied. We hope it will be a valuable course and will pave the way for more community members to be employed in roles that promote understanding and respect for identity and culture.

ACERT meets with the Aldridge Foundation

ACERT meeting with Aldridge Foundation to discuss meeting the needs of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children in the new Kensington Aldridge Academy and in a future Virtual School

On Monday 5/11/12 ACERT met with the Aldridge Foundation who describe themselves thus:

The Aldridge Foundation is an educational charity founded by Sir Rod Aldridge to help young people to reach their potential and improve their communities, principally through the sponsorship of entrepreneurial academy schools and colleges.

We are unafraid to challenge conventional thinking and a culture of low expectations, and believe there are no limits to what people can achieve. 

The Aldridge Foundation are planning a new Academy in North Kensington in London and met with us to share ideas about meeting the educational needs of Traveller communities within the catchment area and also of the more mobile Traveller population who may need more creative provision to enable access to education.

With this is view they are looking at exciting and innovative plans to offer sustained and structured education to children not in school through a Virtual School.  This would offer students access to a highly individualised learning programme ensuring they were able to achieve formally recognised qualifications. As well as supporting the education of various groups of travelling children it was also envisaged that home educated, sick and other such groups of children could enrol in the Virtual School.

The representatives of the Foundation acknowledge the importance of meeting with the relevant communities to incorporate their views into the project.

It was a lively and optimistic meeting and the representatives went away with lots of notes saying that they had found the meeting very useful.

Posted by Amy Rogers

Free mediator training

A mediator is a person whose work involves promoting communication and understanding between members of Gypsy, Roma or Traveller communities and any public authority, such as schools, health services, council departments, government agencies, landlords. The course is primarily for community members.

  • Are you a member of the Gypsy, Roma or Traveller communities?
  • Do you, in the course of your work, promote understanding between Gypsy, Roma or Traveller communities and public bodies?
  • Would you benefit from a total of seven days, high quality residential training, completely free of charge?
  • Could you be available between the 4th and 8th of December 2012, and for a follow-up course in March 2013?
  • Do you fancy a trip to Brussels in January?

When, where and how?   Click here

“The real intercultural mediator has a good knowledge of the “cultural codes” of the community and of the institution, is impartial and focused on improving communication and cooperation and on stimulating both parties to take responsibility and to be actively involved in a change process”