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This page provides information about the Universities and Organisations who have signed up to the #GTRSBintoHE pledge. It will continue to be updated as more organisations, institutions and professional associations commit to supporting GTRSB students into and within Further and Higher Education by 'taking the Pledge'.

Universities and Education providers who are "Pledge Signatories"

All Universities and/or educational institutions listed below have signed up to the Pledge. Links are provided both to their Institutional statement (which specifies which actions they are currently undertaking and developments planned or in progress) and you can also listen to a short video in which their Vice Chancellor, Principal or similar level of Senior Executive speaks about the important of the Pledge to their institution and makes a commitment to fulfilling the core Principles and Activities. If you are interested in signing up to the pledge, you can find out more information on our GTRSB into HE Pledge page.

Buckinghamshire New University

Vice-Chancellor Nick Braisby, outlines in this video the inequalities and barriers into Higher Education that GTRSB communities face and pledges that Bucks will do all they can to tackle these social injustices.

Vice-Chancellor Nick Braisby has also proudly written an open letter explaining Buckinghamshire New University's contribution to the pledge.

Charmaine Holmes, a Buckinghamshire New University student who is studying Social Work BA (Hons), talks about the importance of the University’s GTRSB Bursary in a .

University of Hull

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Becky Huxley-Binns explains in the video what taking the Pledge means for the University of Hull.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Susan J Lea, has outlined in a written and open letter how the University of Hull commits to the GTRSB Pledge to support Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman and Boater students accessing and participating in Higher Education.

Join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter) . #GTRSBintoHE

University of Sunderland

In this video, Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland, shares his delight and pride at signing the GTRSB into Higher Education Pledge. Sir David Bell wants the University of Sunderland to have more GTRSB students studying at degree level.

Join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter)  #GTRSBintoHE

University of Strathclyde

In this video Principal and Professor Sir Jim McDonald, recognises that people from GTRSB communities are under-represented within higher education. The University of Strathclyde aim to better understand and help surmount those barriers to access, making sure they listen carefully to the needs and views of those within the communities.

The University of Strathclyde have  what the GTRSB pledge means to them as well as outlining their commitments towards a better future into and within Higher Education for GTRSB communities.

Join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter)  #GTSBintoHE

University of Winchester

Sam Jones, Assistant Vice-Chancellor at the University of Winchester, outlines what measures they will be taking to make their University more socially inclusive for GTRSB communities.

In an open letter The University of Winchester recognises the unique individual experiences of Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman and Boater students and how these may inhibit access and participation in higher education. The University acknowledges the need to create change, impact and positive outcomes for GTRSB students and commits to four key areas.

Join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter)  #GTRSBintoHE

University of Essex

This video from the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Anthony Forster, and President of the SU, Molly Purcell, shows the University of Essex's commitment to improving diversity amongst their student and staff population. In , the University explain what it means to them by signing up to take the GTRSB into HE pledge, including quotes from the VC and a current student.

The University of Essex have also created a which ties all this information into one clear and concise invaluable resource, which hopes to improve access into higher education for those from a GTRSB background.

Join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter)  #GTRSBintoHE

Nelson College London

Nelson College London (NCL) commits to the Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boaters (GTRSB) into Higher Education Pledge and the College welcomes applications from prospective students from these backgrounds. There is a full range of academic and pastoral support to help students through their studies at NCL.

the activities that NCL have committed towards as part of the pledge. In this video, Principal Geoffrey Alderman onfirms Nelson College London's commitment to provide educational opportunities for Gypsy, Traveller, Romany, Showmen and Boater communities.

Join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter)  #GTRSBintoHE

Institute for Contemporary Theatre | Brighton

The Institute for Contemporary Theatre’s commitment to the four key areas of the GTRSB pledge will be to: 

• Support the students who enter our institutions with access to the FAIR ACCESS FUND which means they will be entitled to a bursary if they are from a low-income household
• Continue to monitor data through our admissions system
• Support students who have not made themselves aware to us 
• Continue to link up and reach out to schools with a high percentage of GTRSB in their community.
• Offer bespoke workshops to the GTRSB community studying performing arts
• Add the GTRSB flag to our website
• Support their annual GTRSB month

Join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter)  #GTRSBintoHE

University of Northumbria

Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Northumbria University Professor Andrew Wathey CBE said in his statement of commitment to the pledge: “We recognise that members of GTRSB communities experience considerable inequalities in access to education, along with prejudice and discrimination in everyday life. As a university we value diversity, and we are determined to ensure we provide an inclusive environment for all. In signing up to this pledge we commit to better understanding the experience of our GTRSB students and staff, so that we can work collaboratively to create environments where everyone feels welcomed, supported, and able to thrive."

Northumbria University’s statement of commitment to the pledge can be accessed here:

Join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter) #GTRSBintoHE

Anglia Ruskin University

Vice Chancellor Roderick Watkins states Anglia Ruskin University's commitment to the pledge in the video below. 

The commitment statement can be viewed here: 

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University College Leeds

Our public pledge statement and video from our Dean of HE talking about taking the pledge can be viewed below.

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Leeds City College

See Leeds City College’s pledge commitment statement and video from the Principal Bill Jones below.

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In2 Med School

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The University of South Wales

The University of South Wales (USW) has committed to adopting the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Boater and Showmen (GTRSB) into Higher Education Pledge. This pledge was made during Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller History Month (June) 2023. The Pledge represents a firm commitment by an educational institution to undertake steps to support students from GTRSB communities into and within higher education.

In signing the Pledge, USW has agreed to create equitable spaces, tackle stigmas, and remove barriers for GTRSB students. Additional measures have also been pledged, including a commitment to design and deliver a multi-intervention outreach and engagement programme to promote access to and participation in higher education specifically for the GRTSB community, and a pledge to identifying a dedicated contact for GTRSB colleagues and GTRSB students.

Professor Donna Whitehead, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at USW, said: “On behalf of everyone at the University, I want to say how proud we are to sign up to the Gypsies, Travellers, Roma, Showman and Boaters (GTRSB) in Higher Education Pledge.

“At USW, our mission is to change lives and the world for a better tomorrow. We aim to change the lives of every single person who comes to the University, regardless of their background or their experiences. This includes everyone in the GTRSB community, but we also recognise the barriers that exist in accessing higher education for GTRSB communities. That’s why we are making this commitment by signing up to the pledge to take action to create fair and equitable spaces for all.”

University of Sussex

The National Pledge represents our commitment to creating a welcoming environment and conditions at Sussex in which GTRSB students can thrive academically and personally. We also keen to supporting the professional and personal development of staff who self-identify as GRTSB.

Liverpool John Moores University

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Contacts - Billie-Gina Thomason and Phil Bakstad at Student Inclusion Team inclusionsupport@LJMU.ac.uk (Tel 0151 231 3149)

University of Worcester

The University of Worcester is pleased to sign up to the Gypsies, Travellers, Roma, Showman and Boaters (GTRSB) in Higher Education Pledge, alongside our friends in Worcester Students’ Union.

In signing the Pledge, the University commits to creating a welcoming environment in which GTRSB students feel welcomed and supported and are able to thrive academically and personally.

At Worcester, we are proud to welcome people from a wide range of backgrounds and we have long advocated – and shown leadership in our commitment to – the principle that all those who have the ability and commitment to study in higher education should have the opportunity to do so.

For the last five years, we have been named in the Top 5 in the UK for Quality Education in the Times Higher Education’s University Impact Rankings, a measure based on the UN Sustainability Development Goal to ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’.

We take a ‘whole university’ approach embedding inclusion into every part of the organisation. But we also recognise that supporting those from disadvantaged backgrounds to have an equal chance of success starts well before students join the University at 18 or above. Which is why we created the UK’s first shared university and public library, to help raise aspirations from the earliest age.

We are aware that members of the GTRSB community can experience barriers when accessing education. We want to change this. Our academics have worked closely with members of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities, carrying out research and developing best practice guides for professionals working with these communities. Two members of our IMPACT group, made up of people who use health and social care services, are Romany Gypsies who regularly input into a range of health and social care classes.

The signing of this pledge is an important next step in our work to eliminate the barriers that these communities face, and we are confident that our staff and students will fully welcome and support all members of GTRSB communities who come to study with us.

University of Law

Twitter handle - @UniversityofLaw

We are committed to encouraging students to enter higher education from all backgrounds and cultures including students from Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater families.

We strive to create a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment where all students can thrive both personally and in their education. To do this we will:

• Provide advice and support before and during your studies by contacting widening-participation@law.ac.uk
• Empower you to share your background with us, which can help the university to support you into and whilst at university
• Offer a priority appointment with the Employability Service within 6 weeks of your course start date. You can also access this service before you start your course, by contacting employability@law.ac.uk
• Provide guaranteed appointments with the Wellbeing Service within the first month of your course start date, covering information about support with study skills, libraries and disability and inclusion
• Give advice from our accommodation team including the option of accommodation for 52 weeks of the year
• Celebrate cultural events for your communities and encourage you to help us do so
• Share success stories of our students and staff
• Listen and learn from your experiences and challenges so we can initiate positive change where identified
• Stand up to discrimination, prejudice and abuse which is not tolerated at the University, if you or others experience this, please inform us via our .

The University of Leeds

The University of Leeds have formally committed to the GTRSB into HE Pledge. 

The University has established a working group made up of colleagues from across the institution who are dedicated to supporting this pledge's work. This group will be chaired by Richard Kemp, Head of Access & Outreach at The University of Leeds. 

View their Pledge here:  

The City of Liverpool College 

We will fulfil our commitments to the Pledge, by undertaking a number of measures.

Data

• Improve data collection, so COLC can monitor the number of Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater students and colleagues currently at the college as part of our Annual Equality Reporting.
• Seek ways to empower and enable students and colleagues to self-identify at application stage and throughout their journey at COLC.

Organisational and Institutional Culture

• Ensure that the complaints monitoring systems track trends in complaints from minority ethnic students, in particular, from students who identify as GTRSB.
• Ensure clear communication that bullying and harassment of the GTRSB community is reportable through our internal students and staff portals.
• Ensure that Student Finance policies include access measures for GTRSB communities.
• Ensure appropriate actions and measures are reflected in the COLC Anti-racism, College of Sanctuary and Decolonising action plans – The decolonising strategy to include inclusive curriculum principles and assessment reflective of the needs of GTRSB community.
• Ensuring effective decolonising the curriculum by including students from communities in the planning process.
• Seek gaps in our inclusive induction programme to ensure that the college creates a sense of belonging for all colleagues and students.
• Make cultural awareness training and inclusive behaviours training available to all colleagues.
• Ensure clear guidance, signposting and access to Study Skills Support and Wellbeing for GRTSB students through Progress Leaders.
• Offer access to personal Academic Coaching with a particular focus on engaging underrepresented students and peer to peer support and mentoring through coaches. 
• Ensure the GTRSB community is incorporated into our institutional policies and activities for equality and diversity, and bullying and harassment.
• Provide a dedicated contact for GTRSB colleagues and students: Manager of Personal Development (students); Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director (colleagues).

Outreach and engagement

• COLC’s Schools and Colleges Liaison Team will deliver targeted outreach programme for Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority students with a clear focus on engaging young people from GTRSB communities. They will work in collaboration with Shaping Futures, Local Education Authorities, key contacts within schools and colleges, and third party organisations including Travelling Ahead, the Bridges Traveller Project and Gypsies and Travellers Wales.
• COLC’s Schools and Colleges Liaison Team will design and deliver a multi-intervention outreach and engagement programme to promote access to and participation in further and higher education specifically for the GRTSB community, with annual reporting against the Access and Participation Plan targets and as part of EDI strategic plan 2024-2028 reporting.

Inclusion, celebration and commemoration

• We will ensure that COLC recognises and celebrates significant celebratory and commemorative dates throughout the academic year through our Inclusion Calendar and that the Student Union includes members of the GTRSB communities in the planning of their diversity events .
• We will ensure that our work with LJMU in strengthening the pledge is sustained in the years to come through collaborative advocacy work with community partners and organisations. 

Pledge submitted by Gail Davidson, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at The City of Liverpool College. 

Supporting Organisations and Professional Associations

The 'Organisations' listed below demonstrates which specialist community NGOs and professional associations have made a commitment to encourage sign-up to the #GTRSBintoHE Pledge. These agencies can be approached to explore ways of ensuring that curricula is inclusive, representative and culturally competent; to link to and represent local GTRSB communities, or to offer training or specialist advice to universities who have, or are intending, to 'take the Pledge.

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Social Work Association

BASW supports pledge to increase access to higher education for students from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. The pledge consists of a firm commitment by a university, college or educational institution to undertake steps to support GTRSB students into and within higher education.

Join the conversation on Twitter #GTRSBintoHE