We have continued to support the Gateshead Roma community during the Lockdown.

Every Thursday we have been delivering food from a local food bank to families complying with the government’s social distancing rules.

We have responded to telephone and online inquiries.

Here are some of the things we have been helping people with in September:

We have distributed food from Fareshare
There have been issues with the Job Centre around Universal Credit. Things are  getting very confusing as the Job Centre employees are telling people they must work full-time, but the employers don’t want people to work full-time at the moment.  We have been trying to sort this out.

Lots of clients have been helped with registering for Covid-19 tests after their children have been coming home with cough and a cold.  Again. the situation has been very confusing for the parents and they want to do the right thing.  In all we have helped about 80 families register for the Covid-19 testing.

There has also been a lot of confusion about the new Covid-19 rules for Gateshead and the Northeast.

We have continued to pass on vital information about subjects including the following:

Possible causes of mental health problems                                                                                                          Stress busting information                                                                                                                             Information about how to sleep better                                                                                                                    New Covid-19 measures brought in by Gateshead Council                                                                                 Latest coronavirus data for the North East showing a rapid rise in cases as lockdown loomed                                   Information about how and when to self-isolate                                                                                            Information from Gateshead Council leader                                                                                                                  News regarding new Lockdown measures                                                                                                             New Covid-19 rules for the Northeast                                                                                                            Additional new Covid-19 rules for England                                                                                                             New shopping rules for major supermarkets                                                                                                           Full list of places you have to wear a facemask as new coronavirus rules came into force                               Covid-19 information for the Northeast                                                                                                                News about Covid-19 from the Czech Republic

Mental Health support

We have held a productive first Zoom meeting with Jolene McCourt and colleagues from Tyneside Mind about getting mental health support to members of the Roma community, who are finding the ongoing situation with Covid-19 very difficult.  We are looking towards developing Wellbeing sessions and there will be further ongoing discussions about this.  

Conversation about a possible film

We have held a productive initial Zoom meeting with Maria Galizia from Candle and bell film productions, about making a film, once the pandemic has been brought under control, which will fairly represent the Roma Community in Gateshead and Tyneside.

Many thanks to Fareshare, Northumbria Police, Citizens Advice Gateshead, Tyneside Mind, Candle and Bell and all our other partners and supporters.

Peter Sagar, Company Secretary, A Living Tradition CIC, and Irma and Zaneta Karchnakova, interpreters and workers, September 2020