Our Story

Donegal Travellers Project (DTP) is a locally based community development organisation working for and with the Traveller and Roma communities in Donegal. Founded in 1996 with the ultimate aim of achieving equality and recognition for the Traveller community, it is one of the longest established community development organisations working with the Traveller community in the country.

OUR ORGANISATION

Our organisation works across the total county and into North Leitrim and has offices in the Letterkenny and Ballyshannon areas. While an estimated 50 per cent of the Traveller population lives in the Letterkenny area, we reach out to families across all of Donegal ensuring that we are inclusive in our work. More recently our work has expanded to support the needs and interests of the Roma community living in Donegal. From its early days, DTP has recognised the complexity of the issues impacting on the Traveller community and the need for action at a variety of levels to address those issues. In its lifetime, DTP has supported Travellers and more recently Roma in articulating their identity, organising collectively and working towards the realisation of their rights. DTP works in specific areas ranging from community development, health and accommodation to early years, adult education, youth work, employment and training and anti-racism work. The project is made up of Travellers, members of the majority population and members of other minority groups committed to working together for the realisation of a more equal society. We work with Traveller and Roma families who are habitually nomadic on a cross-border basis and also those living in rural areas close to the county border, particularly in North Leitrim. The organisation has a policy and representational role at local, regional and national levels.

TODAY

Today, the majority of staff of Donegal Travellers Project, are members of the Traveller community. Our staff also includes a member of the Roma community. The DTP’s commitment to anti-racism is evident from the ongoing work and innovative approach of the Donegal Travellers Intercultural Training Initiative and our online Diversity Awareness Programme, designed to empower individuals and employers to acknowledge and understand diversity in the community and in the workplace.