KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Over two and a half decades of independent Community Development work, working for and with the Traveller and Roma communities in Co Donegal.
TRAVELLER EMPLOYMENT
Over 80% of the staff of DTP are members of the Traveller community.
TRAVELLER EDUCATION
A Growing number of staff members from the Traveller community are graduating from Maynooth University with a Certificate in Community Work in a Changing Ireland.
ST GABRIEL’S PRESCHOOL
Developing St Gabriel’s as a unique indoor/ outdoor, Intercultural preschool delivering the full early childhood curriculum to children of up to a dozen different nationalities.
BIC PROJECT
Co-founding the Building Intercultural Communities Project (BIC) under the Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB) in collaboration with the Donegal Intercultural Platform in 2020. This was the first time in Co Donegal
that Travellers, Roma, Black and Ethnic communities came together to name racism, build relationships across communities and act in solidarity collectively.
DIVERSITY AWARE
Creating a unique Diversity Aware online programme designed to empower individuals and employers to acknowledge and understand diversity in the community and in the workplace.
INTERCULTURAL TRAINING
Hosting scores of Intercultural Training initiatives across the county which offer bespoke training and explore Interculturalism, Diversity and Inclusivity.
PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Expanding our Primary Health Care team across Co Donegal. In 2020 the team conducted a Community Survey with over 100 members of the Traveller community to identify the key priorities, needs and interests of the community.
ROMA PROJECT
Establishing the Roma Community Development Project (2019) and its expansion in 2022 to conduct a health-based needs analysis of the Roma community across the north west region of Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim.
RETHINK IRL FUNDING
Securing a three year funding package from Rethink Ireland (2022) to tackle education disadvantage among Traveller and Roma children and young people.
BIG ISLE
Refurbishing the Big Isle halting site in Manorcunningham (2020), a testament to 15 years of negotiating between DTP advocating on behalf of the Big Isle families and Donegal County Council and a template for future Traveller accommodation in Co Donegal.
UNITED NATIONS
Representing the DTP at the UN committee of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva (2019) where the key challenges of BME communities including Traveller and Roma living in Donegal were highlighted.
WOMEN’S AWARENESS
Launching a Women’s Awareness project, the first of its kind for DTP (2022) that will focus on domestic, gender and sexual based violence.
MENTAL HEALTH
Publishing Ireland’s most comprehensive research into Traveller men’s mental health (2022),which will inform future policy at a local and national level. Uniquely the research was conducted entirely by Traveller men.