Exchange House National Travellers Service is participating in an innovative EU funded Project called Tactics.  The Project promotes intergenerational engagement between young and old amongst minority groups in Austria, Germany, Spain, Lithuania, Italy, Turkey and Ireland.

Exchange House is a recognised centre of expertise in working with Travellers and actively collaborates with EU Partners to bring innovation and best practice to promoting social inclusion amongst Travellers.  A particular innovation in the Tactics Project is the use of games to reduce social isolation amongst older Travellers.  The project will capture many games from the past used amongst minority groups such as Travellers and introduce them to a new generation.

Heydi Foster, Director of Exchange House says: “Reducing social isolation requires resources, commitment and creativity; Exchange House’s participation in this EU Project brings all of these requirements to the engagement and social support of older Travellers.”

Currently all partners are piloting games for the project in preparation for the third TACTICS meeting which will take place in Vilnius at the end of September 2012. Questionnaires with carers and the elderly were undertaken earlier in the year and these games have been developed by partners based on research findings.

The TACTICS project