Travellers face 'fight for their way of life' as they increasingly want to put down roots

Britain's community of Travellers and Gypsies say they are facing a fight for survival of their way of life.

The days when they could pitch up at the side of the road are gone. Current laws prevent that.

At the same time, they say there's a desperate shortage of official sites designated specifically for them by councils, with thousands more pitches needed around the country.

We're increasingly hearing about Travellers clubbing together to buy land to settle on.

Over the Easter period, Travellers moved on to several sites in the south of England without planning permission, putting them at odds with local communities.

But the dilemma facing Travellers and Gypsies now is finding somewhere suitable to live at the same time as preserving their traditions.

They say they want to live in caravans, not houses.

They are a close-knit community, and those we met who've moved on to land in the tiny village of Alfold in Surrey told us the 40 adults and 60 children who've set up home there are all part of one extended family.

Locals say the tiny village of Alfold doesn't have a school, a GP, or the infrastructure to cope with the influx of 100 people and increased traffic.

And there's frustration that the Travellers are not paying council tax. Though the Travellers say they aren't receiving council services, and if they did, would be prepared to pay for it.

Increasingly, Travellers want to put down roots - of sorts - so their children can get an education. Many adults and their children in the community are unable to read and write.

They want a better future for the next generation. They need an address to - as one person put it - "get into the system".

That may seem at odds with ancient traditions, which have seen Travellers and Gypsies moving on every few weeks or months.

The community seems to be at a crossroads - recognising that to survive in the 21st century, their children need an education.

John Reilly, founder of the Gypsy Traveller League, says many people view the community as "secretive", but they are striving to become part of society.

"We are born Travellers," he says. "You are born a Gypsy. You can't tomorrow morning say 'I want to be a traveller'."

He says Travellers recognise change is necessary: "It's not going to change our culture, but it will change our ways."

Mr Reilly says the community wants its young people to have ambitions and goals.

"I've had cases where the school teacher would tell them: 'Why am I teaching you? You're only going to be a block paver'.

"Is that nice to tell a child? Whatever that child wants to be, shouldn't he have that opportunity?"

After being an almost secretive community for so long, the Travellers we've spoken to say they know they have work to do to build trust - and their reputation - in the communities they want to live alongside.

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Mr Reilly says he is dealing with more than 150 alleged cases of discrimination against Travellers and Gypsies that are currently going through the courts.

He said: "Our community wants to move into society, but we are facing hate and discrimination on a daily basis.

"You can go up on social media right now and say 'kill the Gypsies' - you will never be punished for that. But if you said that about the migrants or anyone else what would happen? You go to prison."

"Communities are saying 'if Travellers live beside you, we don't want to live beside them'. Nobody wants us."

(c) Sky News 2026: Travellers face 'fight for their way of life' as they increasingly want to put down roots