Plaid MEP Jill Evans hosted a visit of young people from the Gypsy Traveller community in Pembrokeshire who came to Brussels to the European Parliament.

The young people from Monkton School had taken part in making a DVD about their views and experiences which was shown to MEPs. The Priory Project in Monkton provides education and support for secondary school age Gypsy children, many of whom would otherwise have left education at this age. The film was made with the support of Save the Children and the Welsh Assembly.

The group also heard from Els de Groen MEP, Caroline Mooney from the Welsh Assembly and Livia Jaroka MEP from Romania, the first Roma MEP to be elected. The visit was supported by Save the Children.

Speaking after the meeting Jill Evans said:

"I learned a lot from meeting these young people. They were impressive advocates for the Gypsy Traveller community and presented first hand evidence of their experiences and the challenges they face.

"The European Union now has a Roma Inclusion Strategy but there is still a lot of discrimination.

“These young people were very interested in the work of the European Parliament. It is refreshing to see young people from Wales taking the lead with a groundbreaking project like this. I have asked for a copy of the DVD and will show it to my colleagues. This project has my wholehearted support."

Diwedd/End.