A blooming good idea
By JESS MORGAN
Sherrie Smith, a Hertfordshire Romany florist, is hoping to set up a community hub for Romany Gypsies and Travellers with the ongoing support of her family and Hertfordshire Gypsy and Traveller Empowerment (Herts GATE).
After eight years establishing a successful floristry shop and business, Sherrie decided that she needed to progress further, so in 2012 she took a City and Guilds stage 3 in floristry and also trained as a teacher.
With the help of Hertfordshire Gate Sherrie is embarking on a new adventure. She hopes to combine her passion for floristry and business experience to help other Gypsy and Traveller women move forward in life.
Speaking about her project, Sherrie says: "Our aim is to build a sustainable community hub for women to learn life and work skills - a safe space to meet, learn and create."
Sherrie also plans on setting up a flower/coffee shop to teach all kinds of skills where everyone can work together as a team. Over the next six month Sherrie will start approaching Gypsy, Traveller and Romany communities to establish a Community Interest Company to create a community hub.
The community hub will provide a safe space for Gypsy, Traveller and Roma women. It will provide a space for workshops, meetings and events, and wil be a place for women to share essential life and work skills.
"Negative social facts and stereotypes persist," says Sherrie. "In the media my community is demonised; in education our children and young people are alienated; in health our people are dying earlier; and often accommodation is not decent for those of my community who maintain a sited way of life."
Once Sherrie has got her project going she's not going to stop there. She hopes that the Gypsy and Traveller women who attend the hub will be able to improve their communication skills, customer service skills, and that it will give them more confidence, self esteem and also links to the wider communities.
"Most Gypsy Traveller and Roma woman see themselves as the mother and home maker, spending their lives rearing children, cleaning, cooking and watching life pass them by and not giving much thought to self, not having any expectations or desires for their future," says Sherrie.
"Gypsy, Roma and Traveller lives can be very stressful, experiencing discrimination and prejudice on a daily basis. Fortunately they do have plenty of life skills and are good communicators, mediators and advocates for their own families and community,” she says.
“This community cafe/hub would be a place for the woman to unwind and relax through floristry, stress management classes, yoga, Zumba and confidence building training, which would prepare them for the road into future employment."