Pride of Romani

As we celebrate Romany History Month, we want to express our sincere gratitude to Jamie and the team at CreweCreates for their support of our community.

From providing us with a space to hold our community event on 19th June, to giving us the opportunity to display part of our exhibition, Jamie has shown what genuine community engagement looks like.

What stands out most is that he listens. He doesn't simply talk about inclusion and diversity—he creates opportunities for communities to tell their own stories in their own voices. He understands that artistic freedom and authentic representation matter, especially for ethnic minority communities whose histories and experiences have often been overlooked.

Jamie has helped create a welcoming space where people feel respected, valued, and empowered to share their culture and heritage. That kind of support makes a real difference.

On behalf of Pride of Romany, thank you, Jamie, for believing in community-led creativity, for opening doors, and for helping us celebrate and share Romany history and culture with pride.

We look forward to continuing to work together to build a more inclusive and culturally rich Crewe.

Ethelann Smith ♡

TikTok · 🤍Roma Marie Smith🤍

Before Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Before the Illuminations. Before Blackpool became the seaside town the world knows today.

Romany families were already part of its story.

For generations, Romany people lived, worked, travelled and gathered on Blackpool’s South Shore, shaping its life and character long before many of its most famous landmarks existed.

Much of that history is already held within the Joseph Smith Collection of Romany Heritage in Northern England, carefully gathered and preserved by the late Joseph Smith.

Now we are looking to go one step further — to connect that archive with the families it came from.

We are inviting descendants, elders, family historians and the community to help us bring these stories home. You may recognise names, faces or places within the collection, or have your own photographs, documents, or memories that add to what we already hold.

Could your family be part of this history?

Perhaps you’ve grown up hearing stories of your ancestors life in Blackpool.

Perhaps there are photographs tucked away that match places or people in our archive.

Perhaps your parents or grandparents once lived, worked, or gathered on the South Shore.

If so, we would love to hear from you.

Please send us a private message or share this post with family and friends who may be connected.

Together, we can strengthen and complete the story already exists in the late Joseph Smith's Collection.

Help us preserve and reconnect the heritage of Blackpool’s Romany community to Blackpool for future generations.

ROMANY ROOTS & FUTURE EVENING
Hosted by Pride of Romany

We’re inviting our Romanichal families, friends and community to come together for a warm, relaxed evening celebrating who we are, where we come from, and the strength of our people.

This isn’t a formal event — it’s a proper gathering, a chance to be together , talk, share stories and be with our own.
There’ll be music, food, music our beautiful culture and a welcome for everyone.

Friday 19th June
6:00pm – 8:0pm

PLATFORM ,Market Street, Crewe, CW1 2HB

Bring your children, bring your family, and celebrate our beautiful culture.

Our culture lives when we come together.

Romany History month is coming to Wishing Well Family Hub Crewe

Pride of Romany has curated a full week of cultural activities, bringing together storytelling, heritage crafts, wellbeing sessions and a community celebration for children, families and schools and funded by Crewe Town Council . The incredible Wishing Well staff will be doing the the hub activities and Pride of Romany will be there to for the storytelling workshop!

Here’s what’s happening:

💚Monday – Crafts & Role Models
Cultural crafts and our Romany Role Model Treasure Hunt.

❤️Tuesday – Children’s Storytelling Circle
A magical story circle exploring Romany stories, characters and traditions.
Plus Boxing sessions at McLaren Street Park.

💙Wednesday – Cultural Wall Hanging Workshop
Children will create artwork inspired by Romany culture to build a large community wall hanging.

💚 Thursday – Creative Heritage Day
Romany wagon‑themed crafts, flower‑making and decorative heritage art.

❤️Girls’ Night in the evening with fun activities and creative sessions.

Everyone is welcome — children their families, schools and home schooled familes too.
Let’s celebrate the beautiful history and culture that is everything Romany 💙❤️💚

The Hub / Start Well Centre 3 Chester Bridge, Crewe CW2 7EF

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Joseph Smith Project for Romany Heritage in Northern England.

Pride of Romany supported through Historic England's National Blue Plaques Scheme, will explore and document the rich and often overlooked history of Romany communities connected to Appleby and Blackpool Northern England.

Named in memory of Joseph Smith, whose lifelong work preserved an invaluable archive of British Romany family histories, the project seeks to bring together historical research, community knowledge, oral histories, and archival evidence to identify and celebrate places, people, families, and events of historic significance.

We are particularly interested in hearing from Romany Gypsy families, local historians, heritage organisations, archives, museums, researchers, and community members who hold knowledge, memories, photographs, documents, or records relating to Romany life and heritage in Appleby, Blackpool, and surrounding areas who would like their families to be honoured and recognised in this work.

This project represents an important opportunity to ensure that Romany history is documented, recognised, and preserved for future generations, while contributing to a broader understanding of the role Romany communities have played in shaping the cultural heritage of Northern England.

If you would like to contribute information, share family history, or learn more about the project, we would love to hear from you.

Pride of Romany exists to help ensure that these important histories receive the recognition they deserve.

To kick off Romany history month this June Pride of Romany is honoured to announce our contribution to Roaming Britain: Gypsy and Traveller Homes, a major exhibition at RIBA North West in partnership with Tate Liverpool.

Bringing together the work of artists, architects, poets, and cultural contributors, this exhibition explores ideas of home, place, and belonging through a range of creative perspectives.

For Pride of Romany, this represents a significant milestone. We are proud to have been invited to contribute and to ensure that British Romanichal history, heritage, and lived experience are represented within this important national exhibition.

Our contribution explores stopping places and belonging through our work at Sound Common, helping to preserve, share, and celebrate a part of Romanichal heritage that is too often overlooked.

To see Pride of Romany's work featured within an exhibition supported by world famous and respected institutions like RIBA and Tate Liverpool is a proud moment for our organisation and for the wider British Romanichal community. It reflects the importance of ensuring that our stories, history, culture, and heritage are recognised and represented within national cultural spaces.

We extend our thanks to everyone involved and look forward to sharing this exhibition with the public.

📍 RIBA North, Liverpool
📅 18 June – 6 September 2026
🎟 Free Admission