Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange wins Heritage Lottery Fund support

Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange (GATE) has received £100,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for an exciting project, Feet on the Ground, in Leeds. The project will work with Gypsy and Traveller community members to explore and promote Gypsy and Traveller heritage, working with an archive of artefacts and books gifted to Leeds GATE.

Thanks to National Lottery players, the project will work with communities to build up skills in heritage work, offering opportunities for a range of activities including oral history recording and family history work. The grant will enable Leeds GATE to make their archive much more accessible to Gypsy and Traveller people but also to other communities in Leeds and across the UK, including schools and universities. The project will work with a number of local partners including Leeds University, Leeds Libraries and Leeds Museums to make the material available to as many people as possible. Events and activities will encourage people to engage with the archive and Gypsy and Traveller heritage including participation in Heritage Open Days and displays at Horse Fairs. The project will promote understanding and positive relationship between different communities.

The archive, developed over the last 40 years, includes many photographs, artefacts, books and educational resources and is an important and unique record of Gypsy and Traveller life in West Yorkshire.

Commenting on the award, Helen Jones said: “We are delighted to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and are excited about starting work on this innovative project, we hope it will be educational and beneficial for our members and wider communities in West Yorkshire and across the UK.”

Fiona Spiers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Archives and collections are bursting with stories, pictures and artefacts that give us clues about what life was like, and how it has shaped the communities living in the UK. This project will bring to light a hidden collection, showcase the heritage of the Gypsy and Traveller community and help to build understanding in the local area.”

About Leeds GATE

Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange are a community members organisation for Gypsy and Traveller people in West Yorkshire, our social mission is to improve quality of life for our communities. We work around four main aims; improving accommodation, improving health and wellbeing, improving education, employment and financial inclusion, increasing citizenship and social inclusion. Established for over ten years, Leeds GATE runs a variety of projects and activities to meet these needs including advocacy provision, youth work, community development activities and strategic representation.

About the Heritage Lottery Fund

Heritage Lottery Fund - Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk @heritagelottery @HLFYandH

For further information, images and interviews, please contact
Helen Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange, 0113 2402444, helen@leedsgate.co.uk