By Ben Pindar, Community Newswire
VOLUNTEER Gypsy Liverpool, Yesterday, 4:02pm
A Gypsy from Liverpool who is helping to create an information pack about his culture following the death of his son in a racist attack was today being honoured at the House of Lords.
Patrick Delaney was joining more than a dozen Gypsies at the event in London which aimed to recognise the voluntary work carried out by Gypsies and Travellers around the UK.
Mr Delaney was invited to the "Playing a Part in Communities" reception after joining a team who are trying to diffuse inter-racial tensions by producing an information guide about the Gypsy culture.
He is carrying out the work after his son was killed in a racism-fuelled attack two years ago.
The reception was set up to mark the Year of the Volunteer campaign's "Citizenship and Community Month".
At the event Mr Delaney was being joined by a number of fellow Gypsies including Richard O'Neill, from Manchester, who performs important work for health, including founding National Men's Health Week and Bridie Jones, from Canterbury, who works with local schools and police to improve relations with the Gypsy community and prevent bullying.
Also attending the reception was Siobhan Spencer, from Matlock, Derbyshire, who helped create "Pride Not Prejudice", an annual forum helping to break down barriers between Travellers and the police.
Andrew Ryder, policy worker for the Gypsy and Traveller Law Reform Coalition, which was awarded the Liberty Human Rights Award in 2004, said: "Gypsies and Travellers have the lowest life expectancy and the highest child mortality rates in the UK and according to Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, they probably suffer the most discrimination in this country. But many of them continue to volunteer their time for the benefit of their and the wider community.
"Hopefully by having their voices heard at the highest court in the land some of the stereotypes will be broken.
"Gypsies and travellers will perhaps get the praise they deserve, allowing their community as a whole to take pride in knowing that the work being done is appreciated."
The event was also featuring live traditional music and was being hosted by Lord Avebury, Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Traveller Law Reform and Julie Morgan MP, chairwoman of the group.
The Year of the Volunteer is backed by the Home Office and led by CSV and the Volunteering England Consortium.
To find out about volunteering opportunities in your area visit the Year of the Volunteer website at www.yearofthevolunteer.org
EDITORIAL COMMENT:
I would just like to know since when Mr. Delaney is a Gypsy because he is not, he is Irish Traveller and Irish Travellers are NOT Gypsies according to the Dictionary definition. Nor are they ethnic Gypsies as are the Romani-Gypsies in the UK. Only Romani-Gypsies, Sikhs and Jews are recognized ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom and Irish Travellers do not fall into that category however much they and some others wish to make it. Period! Will this stupidity ever end?
While Mr. Delaney's son was killed by people who hated Travellers and maybe, even, Gypsies, it does not make it a racial attack. They do not like Travellers, those thugs, and would not have a clue as to even Romani-Gypsies being a Race. Irish Traverllers, let's face it, are not a separate race of people but just white people living in trailers pretending to be Gypsies. I am not wishing to make light of the boy's death, far from it, but it was not a "racially motivated attack". And having murderd by thugs also does not make him or his father or anyone else suddenly Gypsy. The Delaneys are Irish Travellers and that's that. Period! Dosta!
