Travellers Aid Trust

January 2012

Dear Friend,

Since the establishment of the Travellers Aid Trust 24 years ago, its revival in 2001 and after 9 years of supporting the Traveller community in the UK as an independent grant maker, the Travellers Aid Trust is becoming dormant. This is because the asset that enabled the Trust to award over half a million pounds in grants to Gypsies, Roma and other Travellers since 2003, is coming to an end.

It was always the intention of the Trust to ‘spend out’ – i.e., use all the money up rather than give out less grants just to keep the Trust ticking along. It was originally thought that the Trust would only last for five years, but by attracting funding from larger grant makers, we have managed to extend the life of the Trust by another four years and it’s activities will cease at the end of June 2012.

The Trust will hold a small amount of money in its reserves to enable it to start up again should a significant donation be received or there is some other reason to revive it. Any other funds left over at the end of June 2012 will be used to continue the Violet Clegg Fund for as long as possible. If you would like to help continue the provision of small emergency grants to families and individuals, you can make a donation to the Trust. All monies raised will be used specifically for the Violet Clegg Fund and the Trust Administrator will continue to run this after June 2012 on a voluntary basis. The number of grants awarded will depend on the number of donations received with an average grant expected to be between £50 and £100. If you would like to contribute to this fund, please send a cheque to:

The Travellers Aid Trust
PO Box 16
Kidwelly
SA17 4SF

Over the next six months, the Violet Clegg Fund will continue to operate as normal, but applications will need to be very well supported and show a real and urgent need to stand a chance of being successful. Please note that more applications are likely to be refused during this period to ensure that those most in need benefit from the remaining funds.

Everyone at the Trust hopes that we have used the money given into our care well and that it has contributed in some small way to improving the lives of Gypsies, Roma and other Travellers throughout the country.

Thank you for all your support over the years,

Susan Alexander
Trust Administrator

The Travellers’ Aid Trust (TAT) has been funded by the Rowntree Charitable Trust to establish a panel to evaluate the impact of the Decentralisation and Localism Bill and other policies affecting Gypsies and Travellers and to produce a report to determine means by which Government proposals can be strengthened and made more effective in terms of site delivery and social inclusion.

A Big or Divided Society?

Recommendations and Report of the Panel Review into the Impact of the Localism Bill and Coalition Government Policy on Gypsies and Travellers

Download the report here (PDF)

Read more about the panel here

We are the only independent grant-maker dedicated specifically to supporting Gypsies and Travellers in the UK. Below you will find a list of all the Trust’s past and present grants programmes. Links to application forms and guidelines, along with links to other relevant information, can be found running down the right margin of the page. You will also find a series of links running down the right margin of the page which will lead to you other relevant information. If you have any difficulties in accessing the information you need, you can contact the Trust directly at:

The Travellers Aid Trust

PO Box 16

Kidwelly

Carmarthenshire SA17 5BN

Tel./fax: 01554 891876

info@travellersaidtrust.org

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Grants

For more, please see our Grants Page