How Peer-Led Health Champions Are Bridging the Gap for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Communities
In short: Centuries of prejudice have created deep-seated health inequalities for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities. The GRACE Project and the North East London Cancer Alliance are now tackling these disparities by training community members as paid Health Champions, using lived experience to dismantle taboos and improve access to vital cancer screenings.
The Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) communities face persistent inequalities in cancer prevention, screening, and early diagnosis. To address these, the North East London Cancer Alliance launched an engagement project that combined community-led advocacy with system-level change. By partnering with organizations like Friends, Families and Travellers and the Roma Support Group, the initiative recruited 13 paid Health Champions from diverse backgrounds, including Roma, Irish Traveller, and New Traveller groups.
These Champions underwent accredited Royal Society for Public Health training, which was specifically adapted to be culturally safe by accounting for literacy, language, and digital barriers. This training covered health improvement and behaviour change, with a focus on breast, bowel, cervical, and lung cancer. Beyond the training, the project facilitated 12 cultural awareness sessions for over 90 healthcare professionals, aiming to educate staff on GRT history, discrimination, and the structural barriers that often prevent these communities from accessing primary care.
The impact of this peer-led model was significant. Before training, only 25% of Champions felt very aware of health services; this rose to 92% afterward. Confidence in discussing cancer screening also jumped from 58% to 92%. Crucially, the project acted as a rare intercultural connector. By bringing different GRT groups together, the Champions found common ground and shared experiences, which helped them challenge discriminatory practices in primary care and support their families in navigating the NHS. This approach demonstrates that when communities are empowered to lead, they can effectively dismantle the stigma and fear surrounding taboo health topics.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The GRACE Project - Guide to engaging with the Gypsy Roma Traveller community
- Also: Case study: Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) Engagement
- Also: www.open.edu — Guide to engaging with the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community
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