This week, as part of the University’s recognition of Holocaust Memorial Day, and in line with our Access, Progression and Participation Plan commitment to learners from the Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman, and Boater (GTRSB) community, the Widening Participation (WP) team shared resources with local secondary school partners who have a higher-than-average intake of Traveller-heritage students.

Animated testimonies, audio content, and selected books reflecting the experiences of Travellers during the Holocaust were gifted to a number of schools across Sussex as part of WP’s broader engagement with these institutions. 

There is a mandatory requirement for English schools to teach about the atrocities of the Holocaust, but no requirement to include the experience of Travellers; notably 500,000 Roma and Sinti who were murdered as part of a genocide. Providing resources that widen understanding and better reflect the communities attending those schools is a step forward in supporting inclusion and progression for all.  

This work supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal: SDG 10 (reduced inequalities). You can read more about our work on the SDGs.