ACERT – Page 71 – Advisory Council for the Education of Romany and other Travellers

Lord Avebury

Address to the ACERT AGM 2010

September 25th 2010

I’m supposed to be giving a ‘coalition update’, and whoever thought up that title may have imagined that as a member of one of the coalition parties I would have some idea of what has been going on behind the scenes. Let me admit frankly that I have no inside knowledge and know only what I read in the papers. Ministers are aware of my interest in the rights of Gypsies and Travellers over the last half century, but none have been in touch or asked my advice. I did see the way the wind was blowing when Caroline Spelman published her ‘Open Source Planning Green Paper’ before the election and wrote to her with some detailed criticisms. But she didn’t respond, and the communications with Ministers since the election have been one-sided. Continue reading “Lord Avebury”

Chair’s Report at AGM 2010

September 25th 2010

I would like to thank the ACERT Executive Committee for their continued support over these busy and uncertain times.

ACERT has been proactive in the past year. There have been meetings with the DCSF and I would like to thank Geoff Brown and Andrea Smith for arranging and chairing the joint discussions with NATT+ which have kept us informed with the development of the stakeholders group and relevant issues relating to Travellers and education policies. Continue reading “Chair’s Report at AGM 2010”

Annual General Meeting 2010

This year’s AGM took place in late September, once again in The Community Rooms in Millman Street, London.

A well attended meeting heard Lord Avebury give the opening speech on coalition related issues and then listened to presentations on E-LAMP by Ken Marks and Kate D’Arcy and Appleby On the Hoof by David Sheard and Hugh Stanners. There were also reports by the Children’s Rights Alliance for England by Katy Swaine, Emma Nuttall spoke about Friends & Families of Travellers and Lucy Beckett talked about the Traveller Reform Project. Heather Bottomley invited comments on the DfE Early Years call for evidence consultation and Lucie Fremlova spoke briefly about Equality, the new charity supporting Roma. The Chair of ACERT Pat Barr also gave her report on the year and the treasurer Helen Creedon gave a finance update. Continue reading “Annual General Meeting 2010”

Letter to Sarah Teather MP

Lord Avebury has written to the new Minister of State for Children and Families at the Department of Education passing on his congratulations on her appointment in the new coalition government. He goes on to outline the purposeful relationship between ACERT and the department and the need for an urgent meeting.

Download and read the letter