The Psychotherapy and Skills Coaching Service for Boat Dwellers without a Home Mooring was one of two runners up in the Special Project category of the Friends Families and Travellers (FFT) annual awards this year. Co-ordinator Helen Brice attended the awards ceremony in Brighton on 25th April. There were 108 projects nominated for the awards in total.
The Special Project winner was the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Women’s Health Group. Showmen’s Mental Health Awareness was the other runner up.
Liveaboard boater Peirina Tello was the winner of the Education award for her work with children from the Gypsy and Traveller communities.
The awards ceremony enabled Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and nomadic people from all over the country to gather and celebrate each others’ sheer dedication and astounding achievements, both as individuals and as wider communities.
A spokesperson from FFT said:
“Every nomination was inspiring in its own right, and had an immeasurable impact on those around them through their work. The judging panel had a difficult task and grappled for days when choosing just one winner per category. Those that were shortlisted demonstrated a zeal for enriching the lives of their own communities and wider society, and hearing about each individual or project left barely a dry eye in the house”.
Friends, Families and Travellers is a national charity that works to end racism and discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and to protect the right to pursue a nomadic way of life.
Helen Brice and Pierina Tello