John (JR) Reilly - the man with the world in his hands
We sat at a table at The Pheasant Inn, Hayes, which is in the west of London. John Reilly (JR) informed me that where we sat was the beginning of his journey, when a moment of discrimination he faced at the Inn spawned a thought - to create an organization named Gypsy Traveller League (GTL), which would be an organization aimed at improving the relations between the Gypsy/ Traveller community and the non-Traveller community, whilst also giving opportunities to the Gypsy/Traveller community.
JR founded the GTL with his own money three years ago and is currently waiting for the official charity funding, but in the meanwhile, I got to speak with him about the beginning - and where the organisation is leading to.
“Their talents are gone to waste, obviously it’s a lot of negative press against Gypsies and Travellers,” says JR, as he speaks about the negative media created by Channel 4 and their show Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.
“And I want to make a change, and I believe I’m the person who will make that change,” he adds.
JR says he wants to create a better image for the community and for his children and for the children of others. He wants them to be able to go to events and days out without the stigma created before their birth by Channel 4.
By breaking the chains of the past, we will be set free for the days to come and have an understanding that we are not aliens but human beings with feelings and thoughts, and the GTL want to create a safe environment for the Gypsy/Traveller community, creating courses to help with future jobs and careers whilst also working on a better treatment for mental health within our community.
In planning for the past three years, two in the public eye and one behind the scenes writing down the future of the GTL, JR has now met with politicians to discuss the removal of our identity by the labelling by the government which changed the wording in a recent education policy from Gypsy/ Traveller children to 'Mobile Children’, while also taking away sites needed for the families.
“They’re literally trying to take our culture away from us and that’s a fact, they want you hidden and that’s what the downfall is,” says JR, who plans to take this to the UN, building on the support he has from his team, lawyers and supporters and bring it to the attention of the public.
JR is currently working on two thousand cases of discrimination against Travellers/Gypsies across the UK and Ireland. One case was with a young Traveller father Michael McDonagh, who, his family say, was killed by staff and security guards whilst on holiday with his wife and children at the Park Dean holiday resort in Camber Sands, just over two years ago. The family then reached out to JR after the Police and then the Crown Prosecution Service threw out the case with no arrests made.
This is discrimination hiding in plain sight, even in the places where we should feel safe – like on a family holiday.
It’s a great honour to know that JR is standing above fighting the good fight and helping thousands of lives daily.
If you want to help JR on his journey or to help with the GTL, their email is GypsyTravellerLeague@gmail.com , or check out their website www.gypsytravellerleague.org
Photos, words and video by Johnny P. Collins for TT News
Johnny P Collins
Writer/Producer
LinkedIn/Instagram @johnnypcollins
www.durahanpictures.com