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.

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

 The rates of Covid-19 cases in the Gateshead and Northeast area.

Information about how to download the new NHS app.

Information regarding which tier the Northeast is in with relation to the Lockdown and what the lockdown regulations mean

Information about the new lockdown rules

Information about what the consequences of lockdowns might mean for the people of the region Other information of importance and interest to the Roma community in Gateshead.                         

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

We have distributed food from Fareshare
 

We have helped members of the Roma community with a number of important issues.

We have been dealing with a small number of appointments for desperate families, We have been working closely with the Children’s Society over helping families obtain EUSS                                                                                                                                       

We have continued our women’s group online 

Working in partnership with the Children’s Society, some of our clients have been going to the Millin Centre and doing an online ESOL course

We held a very good meeting with Ed Ward from Northumbria Police, who answered questions from people, particularly about Covid-19.

We have held very productive discussions with Tyneside Mind, about putting in place support for women’s wellbeing.  We are working towards holding wellbeing Skype sessions with a number of women from the Roma community.

We have liaised closely with Northumbria Police to help members of the Roma community to know what is happening, during the Covid-19 Crisis.

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

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