Dorset History Centre has been working with Kushti Bok for a while, and we have previously published a range of blogs highlighting their work in the local Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. June is Gypsy Roma Traveller History month and we have asked Bryan Keet, a member of the organisation, to explain more about one of the ongoing projects that Kushti Bok are involved with…
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Kushti Bok is a Dorset charity dedicated to supporting the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. It was formed in 2002 and became a Limited Company in 2010. We believe that by understanding and learning from our history and traditions and sharing our knowledge and experiences we can:
- Support Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people to thrive now and in the future
- Continue to make an important contribution to our local communities.
I was born at the location of the New England camp in Bournemouth, and am a descendant of the original Traveller families that set the camp up over 100 years ago. I have been researching my family and local history for over 30 years and have visited many locations in both Dorset, Hampshire and further afield.
I was eventually encouraged to join Kushti Bok by Betty Smith-Billington, who I had met a number of years ago at a multicultural event. I provide as much research as I can on historical encampments and help on various projects.
Kushti Bok have commissioned a map that shows Gypsy and Traveller; encampments, people, stories, schools and local history. By visualising the locations and population sizes of Gypsy and Traveller people in the region, as well as the histories and stories of our communities, Kushti Bok aim is to highlight the significant contributions of the Gypsy, Traveller, and Roma communities to the cultural and social fabric of Dorset.
We have extensively covered the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole areas as there were many encampments. We continue to add new locations as they are identified, sometimes cross referencing Census records with maps dated to the time of the census as place names change over time.
If you feel you have any relevant information that could be added to the map, or even if you spot a mistake, please get in touch via an email to: info.kushtibok@gmail.com
You can visit the map here: https://kushtibok.communitymaps.org.uk/welcome