Friends, Families and Travellers

What Friends, Families and Travellers does

Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) is a UK national charity, founded in 1994 and registered as a charity in 2005 (charity no. 1112326, company limited by guarantee no. 3597515), that supports Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities through advocacy, direct advice, training, and policy work. Headquartered at Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton, the organisation delivers a National Helpline (01273 234 777, open weekdays 10:00–16:30), Sussex-based outreach including an Advice Bus for weekly site visits, drop-in services on transit sites, and face-to-face casework in Brighton offices. FFT also operates an accredited Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) Training Centre delivering Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications to GRT communities, an Online Cultural Awareness Training accessed by more than 2,500 people annually via the MeLearning platform, and a touring theatre production (Crystal's Vardo / Travelling Tales) seen by over 2,000 people each year.

FFT's service portfolio also includes a Services Directory of 105 specialist GRT services across the UK, energy grants support, and youth programmes. At the policy level, FFT holds the Secretariat of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Gypsies, Travellers and Roma, is a strategic partner and secretariat-holder in the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance (co-chairing its Inclusion Health subgroup), and leads the Oak Project consortium with London Gypsies & Travellers and Housing Diversity Network to expand GRT site provision in England. FFT is governed by a ten-member Board of Trustees (eight of whom are GRT), led by CEO Sarah Mann (since 2018), with Honorary President Baroness Janet Whitaker.

The organisation is funded by a mix of institutional grants (The Henry Smith Charity, Big Lottery Fund, Department of Health, NHS England, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Oak Foundation, BBC Children in Need), individual donations, legacy gifts, and fees from accredited training courses. At least half of trustees, staff, interns and volunteers identify as Gypsy, Roma or Traveller, which the organisation positions as the basis of its community-led model. Annual impact metrics cited in the source material include 1,300+ families supported via casework, 300+ families receiving 'care of' address services, and 500+ cumulative RSPH qualifications awarded.

Name

Friends, Families and Travellers

Legal name

Friends, Families and Travellers

Website

https://gypsy-traveller.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friends, Families and Travellers is a UK national charity that provides advocacy, advice, training, and policy work for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, operating a national helpline, casework, RSPH-accredited training, and parliamentary policy influence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community advocacy and inclusion services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Community advocacy services
• Charitable advice services
• Cultural awareness training
• Health inclusion programmes
• Policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Brighton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and fundraising: The organisation relies on donations from supporters and fundraising activities. They have a donations page and encourage one-time and recurring contributions.
2. Legacy gifts (bequests in wills): FFT encourages supporters to leave a legacy gift in their will, providing a future funding stream.
3. Training course fees: FFT is an accredited Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) Training Centre and delivers accredited training courses including RSPH Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications. These courses generate revenue from training fees.
4. Grant funding from institutional funders: FFT receives funding from institutional funders including The Henry Smith Charity, Big Lottery Fund, Department of Health, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, NHS England, BBC Children in Need, and other charitable foundations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) is a national UK charity that delivers free advocacy, advice and casework support to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) individuals and families via a national helpline, Brighton offices and Sussex outreach (Advice Bus, transit site visits). It also runs accredited health training (RSPH Level 1 and Level 2 awards), CPD-accredited online cultural awareness training, theatre-based community education, and systemic policy advocacy including secretariat services for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gypsies, Travellers and Roma.

Product overview

Friends, Families and Travellers operates as a national advocacy charity offering a unified suite of services centered on a National Helpline and advice/advocacy services. The organization provides direct support through health and social care programs, Sussex outreach services, and RSPH-accredited training courses. Educational outreach includes touring theatre productions (Crystal's Vardo and Travelling Tales) and online cultural awareness training. Policy influence is pursued through APPG secretariat services and participation in the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance. Additional services include the Oak Project for accommodation advocacy, a Services Directory, and energy grants support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Helpline
• Health and Social Care Casework
• AQS-Accredited Advice and Advocacy Service
• Sussex Outreach Service (Advice Bus and Transit Site Visits)
• RSPH Accredited Health Training
• Online Cultural Awareness (Inclusive Services) Training
• Crystal's Vardo (Touring Theatre Production)
• Travelling Tales (Interactive Storytelling Programme)
• APPG Secretariat Services
• National Services Directory
• Oak Project (Accommodation Advocacy Partnership)
• VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance Participation
• Energy Grants and Support Service
• National Inclusion Health Network Participation

Quantifiable outcome

• 1300+ families helped annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Garden Court ChamberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal chambers providing expertise in Gypsy and Traveller law matters, supporting FFT's legal advocacy work.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFT is a strategic partner representing Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in health policy discussions and the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance.
• Brighton and Hove City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner providing funding and collaborative support for Sussex-based programmes.
• Equally OurscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership connecting people and organisations to create change on equality issues, FFT is an active member.
• National VoicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading coalition of health and social care charities in England, FFT is a member contributing GRT expertise.
• NCVOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Council for Voluntary Organisations, FFT is a certified member.
• Advice UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFT is a certified and fully compliant Network Member of Advice UK, meeting quality standards for advice provision.
• Coalition of Race Equality Organisations (CORE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of organisations representing people from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds, FFT participates in collective advocacy.
• London Gypsies & TravellerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Oak Project, a 3-year partnership aimed at increasing site provision for Romany and Traveller communities across England.
• Housing Diversity NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Oak Project, working to improve learning and understanding of Local Authority planning policy on Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation.
• VCSE Health and Wellbeing AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFT is a member of this partnership between voluntary sector and health and care system. FFT provides the Alliance secretariat and co-chairs its Inclusion Health subgroup.
• National Inclusion Health NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork led by lived and learned experience, facilitated by key national Inclusion Health organisations. FFT is a strategic partner.
• APPG for Gypsies, Travellers and RomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFT serves as Secretariat for this All Party Parliamentary Group, providing a forum for parliamentarians concerned about issues facing GRT communities. The APPG has co-chairs Mary Kelly Foy MP and Baroness Janet Whitaker.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Citizens Advice: UK-wide independent advice network providing casework across benefits, housing, discrimination, and rights — a comparable advice delivery model to FFT's helpline and casework services, but at vastly larger scale and broader population scope.
• Shelter: UK national housing charity addressing homelessness and accommodation issues. Comparable to FFT on the accommodation/accommodation-advocacy axis, but operating at much greater scale across the general population.
• Mind: UK national mental-health charity with comparable advice-line, training, and policy-influencing infrastructure. Useful peer for benchmarking scale and multi-channel beneficiary reach for a UK national support charity.
• Refugee Council: National UK charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers with advice, advocacy, and policy work. Structurally analogous to FFT as a national minority-community charity combining casework, training, and parliamentary influence.
• Crisis: UK national homelessness charity with comparable service-delivery infrastructure (advice lines, casework, education programmes). Operates at much larger scale and across the general population rather than a specific minority community.

Others

• Advice UK: Membership body for independent advice organisations; FFT is itself a certified Network Member. Comparable as the sector umbrella FFT sits within, useful for benchmarking service quality and AQS compliance.
• National Voices: Coalition of health and social care charities in England of which FFT is a member. Comparable as a sector infrastructure peer informing FFT's positioning in health-system advocacy.

Direct peers

• Roma Support Group: UK charity providing advocacy, advice, education and health support specifically to Roma communities. Comparable as a GRT sub-community focused organisation with similar advice-line and community-development models.
• The Traveller Movement: National UK charity advocating for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers with comparable programmes in policy, training, research, and community engagement. Closely aligned mission, similar advocacy/influencing model, and overlapping policy network.
• London Gypsies & Travellers: GRT-focused charity operating in London; FFT's named partner in the Oak Project. Directly comparable as a regional GRT advocacy and support organisation with similar casework, advice, and policy engagement, though geographically narrower in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-families-and-travellers

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Friends, Families and Travellers