Portsmouth NEU, Steve Sinnott Foundation and The Traveller Movement

Portsmouth Branch of NEU (National Education Union) held it’s AGM on Friday April 25th. Around the AGM several organisations and speakers were invited to take part.

The Traveller Movement, in collaboration with The Steve Sinnott Foundation, were invited to screen the film Never Going to Beat You (NGTBY) as part of the 2025 AGM of Portsmouth NEU. On Thursday evening the film was shown at the Southsea Cinema and Arts Centre.


The film was introduced by Jude Tisdall representing the Traveller Movement. Jude is also an ambassador for the Steve Sinnott Foundation. The film was shown to an invited audience of NEU members including teachers and educators. NGTBY is a film about domestic abuse, based on true stories of 18 Romany, Gypsy and Irish Traveller women. It is powerful and hard-hitting film, commissioned with the purpose of raising awareness. It is a masterful portrayal of how domestic abuse can destroy lives and effect families and community. The film is part of the Traveller Movement Education Programme and can be used to raise awareness among service providers and professionals or, as a discussion opener with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, or indeed any community where such topics are seen as taboo. Domestic abuse and violence is of course not limited to any one community or any one sector of the population. This is a problem that cuts across all sections of society; it is not age related, class, culture of gender related. The showing was followed by a discussion.


For full details of all trainings available please visit www.travellermovement.org.uk



Among the invited speakers at the AGM on Friday evening, April 25th were Ann Beatty CEO of the Steve Sinnott Foundation and Shamella Dhana Chair of Trustees and Founder member of Portsmouth City of Sanctuary.


Portsmouth City of Sanctuary


PCoS is grassroots, award winning, humanitarian charity, primarily assisting Portsmouth’s migrant community with direct action. The PCoS volunteer team aims to compassionately uphold the dignity and independence of all individuals it supports, regardless of status, and strives to do so with respect and welcoming warmth for everyone.


Shamella spoke about the organisations work in helping local asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, sharing some of the enormous range of projects which include a Refugee Hub, Action Asylum, Welcome Box arrivals, Welcome Wheels. There is a female only space HAVEN which has a programme of activities and support to those who have suffered gender violence. And much, much more. Shamella is an inspirational speaker, passionate and knowledgeable.


For further information of the work of PCoS please go to www.portsmouth.cityofsanctuary.org



The Steve Sinnott Foundation


The Steve Sinnott Foundation is a small charity with an enormous reach. Their mission is to change lives through education by creating a worldwide community of educators and learners. striving for universal access to quality education and ongoing improvement of teaching and learning.


Ann Beatty, CEO of the charity spoke of some of the current projects supporting this vision to accessible education are


  • Positive Periods: a project which started out in one country and has now been rolled through to The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Uganda, Malawi, Senegal, Nepal, Haiti and Cuba. On reaching puberty girls can miss out on up to a quarter of school time by not having the materials to manage their periods
  • Running workshops on gender-based violence. Creating safe spaces to talk, explore and understand.
  • Mother Tongue Literacy Classes


Ann thanked the NEU Portsmouth for their continued support and spoke about Steve’s ambitions and dreams in relation to education for all. She also noted that the work of the Traveller Movement and Portsmouth City of Sanctuary had similar and overlapping purpose and hopes in relation to cultivating an awareness and creating change around gender-based violence in all its forms.


For further information please visit www.stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk


If you are in Southsea do pop in and meet Aysegul and Hannah, they host loads of community events and they made our evening a great success. www.southseacinema.co.uk



Ann Beatty • April 28, 2025

Empowering Student Voices: Young Ambassadors Champion Inclusive Education for All

By Ann Beatty • October 13, 2025
In our continued commitment to ensuring quality and inclusive education for every child, we’ve taken our advocacy to a new level by empowering the next generation to lead the conversation. In partnership with The Gambia Teachers Union, we recently convened the Foundation’s Young Ambassadors for a vibrant day of engagement dedicated to promoting the right to education for all. The event brought together passionate students from selected senior secondary schools across Region One, including St. John’s School for the Deaf, to explore what it truly means to make education inclusive, equitable, and accessible to every learner. 

Seeds of Hope 2025: Young People Planting Peace and Sustainability Around the World

By Ann Beatty • October 3, 2025
The Steve Sinnott Foundation is proud to celebrate the inspirational winners of the 2025 Seeds of Hope for a Better Future competition, a global initiative supported by UNESCO that brings together creativity, community, and a shared commitment to peace and sustainability. This unique project invited schools across the world from nursery and primary through to secondary and high school to explore the values of peace, cultural understanding, and care for the planet. In the face of climate change, young people were asked to tell their stories through art, performance, and digital creativity, highlighting how small seeds of action can grow into powerful movements for hope. The results have been extraordinary. Schools in France, the UK, Gambia, Haiti, and Kenya have been recognised for their outstanding contributions, with projects ranging from community gardens and sculptures to dance performances and illustrated stories. Each winner has shown how young voices and imagination can nurture peace and sustainability in ways that inspire us all. The full Awards Ceremony can be watched linked here: S eeds of Hope For A Better Future Awards Ceremony 2025 Highlights from the Winners Oak View Primary and Nursery School (UK) created Faces of Feeling, a collection of joyful sculptures already exhibited in a local gallery. Judges praised their work as supporting the wellbeing of others and embodying the idea of children as true “Seeds of Hope.” St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School (Gambia) painted Campaign for a Sustainable Banjul , reflecting real-world climate action in their city. The judges described it as “a most deserving and robust winner.” In France , the Jardin d'Enfants des Nations Unies (United Nations Nursery School) won hearts with Wind of Peace , where 5-6 year olds combined drawings, paintings, and tree planting to champion reforestation. Lyng Hall Secondary School, Coventry (UK) collaborated with Henley Green Primary and the UK Literacy Association to produce The Heart Shaped Hole – an innovative and metaphorical take on Seeds of Hope. Earlsdon Primary School, Coventry (UK) impressed with Primary Plot , a project that included gardening with the visually impaired, reflecting inclusivity and sustainability. A remarkable cross-collaboration between 21 schools across West Yorkshire, Essex, and Tower Hamlets (UK) resulted in Lights, Camera, Score , an ambitious combination of animation, music, and storytelling. CIMA Community School of Hope, Haiti shared Konbit - a video of dance and solidarity, inspiring villages to work together for peace and dignity. Daraja Academy, Kenya presented an ambitious and optimistic project integrating sustainability into everyday school life. Celebrating Creativity and Peace This year’s competition was judged by an impressive panel of artists, writers, and cultural leaders including Sir Antony Gormley, Edmund de Waal, Dame Liz Forgan, Hugh Quarshie, and Rathna Ramanathan. Their collective expertise highlighted the quality and depth of the entries, each of which showed how art can be a powerful tool for global understanding and change. The Seeds of Hope initiative is part of UNESCO UK’s Arts and Culture for Peace programme, first launched in 2022. It has grown from earlier collaborations such as the Coventry Young Ambassadors’ Islands of Peace Japanese Garden , opened in 2021 a living reminder that seeds planted in communities can continue to flourish. Highlights from the ceremony can be found here at this playlist Looking Ahead As Ann Beatty, UNESCO ASPnet UK National Coordinator , shared: “The quality of entries was extraordinary. We are delighted at the response to this amazing initiative in collaboration with our international partners.” And in the words of judge Jannette Cheong : “Young people around the world understand well the value of peace and tolerant relationships between cultures. Their creativity is an inspiration to all of us.” At The Steve Sinnott Foundation, we believe that education is the seed from which hope grows. The Seeds of Hope competition is a shining example of how young people through creativity, compassion, and collaboration are already shaping a more peaceful and sustainable future. You can access the full online awards presentation here: Seeds of Hope For A Better Future Awards Ceremony 2025

Teachers Advance in Guidance and Counselling Training in The Gambia

By Ann Beatty • August 18, 2025
The journey to strengthen the well-being and success of learners in The Gambia continues with a renewed commitment to guidance and counselling in schools. By August 14th 2025, we have successfully trained 140 educators across 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑 & 𝟒 under our Guidance & Counselling Programme. A programme designed to equip educators with the skills to support students’ academic, social, and emotional development. Region 3 Teachers Complete Level 2 Training On Wednesday, 6th August, thirty teachers from Region 3 (North Bank Region) began a three-day Level 2 Guidance and Counselling training at the Christian Council in Kanifing. This programme built on their earlier Level 1 training in Farafenni, with a focus on deepening their capacity to serve as school-based counsellors. The training concluded with a certificate presentation ceremony, recognising the teachers’ commitment and marking an important step in their professional development. These certificates symbolize more than an achievement; they represent each teacher’s readiness to provide psychosocial support, guidance, and mentorship to learners across their schools.