London Gypsies and Travellers has launched an interactive online map, where Gypsies and Travellers in London can find out about the experiences of other members of the community when using local services – for example, those related to housing, sites, employment, health and education. Then they can share their own experiences for others to refer to.
The resource, known as the LGT Community Map, is part of LGT’s London Mapping Project, run with the organisation Mapping for Change. It is important because that Gypsies and Travellers share their experiences of services, says LGT’s Community Engagement Officer Mena Mongan, because it provides evidence about both the discrimination facing the community and the good services which support them.
“This helps us campaign together for more positive results,” she says. “If more Gypsies and Travellers talk about their experiences, they encourage others to add their own complaints and reviews. You log your good and bad experiences – for example, being refused in pubs, wedding venues or having bad treatment by the council or in schools.”
The LGT Community Map can be accessed by phone or computer, and people can add photos, videos, voice messages and comments. To have a look, try it out or add a comment, go to the LGT Community Map page. LGT’s Mapping the Pathway to Equality project is building a detailed evidence base about the size of the Gypsy and Traveller community in London and the accommodation and work issues faced. LGT will use this information to ensure that borough and London plans and strategies take into account and respond to the needs of the Gypsy and Traveller community.
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