By Annalise Corcoran, Community Development Officer
\nAt this year’s annual conference, “Who’s Left Behind? Rebuilding Trust, Fairness and Opportunity,” I had the honour of speaking on Panel Two. It was a powerful moment to reflect not only on the barriers our community continues to face, but also on the resilience and hope that has carried me through my own journey.
\nI shared some of the personal challenges I’ve overcome – struggles that were made lighter through my Christian faith and the support of organisations that consistently stand beside the Traveller community. Their advocacy has shown me the power of solidarity and the impact that genuine support can have.
\nOne message I felt strongly about sharing was what it truly means to be an Irish Traveller today. Our identity is rooted in culture, family, faith, and history- not in how much education we have or what path we choose to take in life. Education doesn’t dilute who we are; it strengthens us. It gives us new tools to protect our heritage, amplify our voices, and shape the future for the next generation.
\nKnowing your value and worth is essential. When we understand who we are and believe in the strength we carry through our faith and lived experiences, we are able to find the courage to take steps in the right direction, even when the path feels uncertain. Confidence, grounded in identity and knowledge of our true worth, is what helps us move forward with purpose and hope.
\nIn embracing our worth and walking boldly in our calling, we open ourselves to the freedom and peace that come from living authentically.
\n","padding":{"top":"pt-0","bottom":"pb-11"},"alignment":"\"\""}]},"seo":{"seoComponents":null}}},"pageContext":{"uri":"/news/november-2025-speaking-on-panel-two/","date":"28 Nov 2025","numericDate":"20251128","title":"November 2025: Speaking on Panel Two","id":"cG9zdDo4MDYz","slug":"november-2025-speaking-on-panel-two","link":"https://travellermovement.org.uk/news/november-2025-speaking-on-panel-two/","categories":{"nodes":[{"name":"Blog"}]},"flexLayouts":{"pageLayouts":[{"postTitle":"Rebuilding Trust, Fairness and Opportunity ","blurb":"On November 20th, TM's Community Development Officer, Annalise Corcoran joined Panel 2 at the Annual Conference speaking on Rebuilding Trust, Fairness and Opportunity. Here Annalise reflects on her time on stage alongside Michael Reilly, Charmaine Abdul Karim, Virgil Bitu and Pauline Melvin-Anderson OBE.","image":{"altText":"","sourceUrl":"https://wp-main.travellermovement.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DSC_5553.jpg","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"constrained","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/42171e6bc51fb2a3eaeb572f923ddb4d/787f6/DSC_5553.jpg","srcSet":"/static/42171e6bc51fb2a3eaeb572f923ddb4d/5e910/DSC_5553.jpg 258w,\n/static/42171e6bc51fb2a3eaeb572f923ddb4d/5a12f/DSC_5553.jpg 516w,\n/static/42171e6bc51fb2a3eaeb572f923ddb4d/787f6/DSC_5553.jpg 1032w","sizes":"(min-width: 1032px) 1032px, 100vw"},"sources":[{"srcSet":"/static/42171e6bc51fb2a3eaeb572f923ddb4d/b95f2/DSC_5553.avif 258w,\n/static/42171e6bc51fb2a3eaeb572f923ddb4d/8712b/DSC_5553.avif 516w,\n/static/42171e6bc51fb2a3eaeb572f923ddb4d/bbd91/DSC_5553.avif 1032w","type":"image/avif","sizes":"(min-width: 1032px) 1032px, 100vw"},{"srcSet":"/static/42171e6bc51fb2a3eaeb572f923ddb4d/8935e/DSC_5553.webp 258w,\n/static/42171e6bc51fb2a3eaeb572f923ddb4d/5839e/DSC_5553.webp 516w,\n/static/42171e6bc51fb2a3eaeb572f923ddb4d/007fb/DSC_5553.webp 1032w","type":"image/webp","sizes":"(min-width: 1032px) 1032px, 100vw"}]},"width":1032,"height":1547}}}}},{}]},"breadcrumb":{"location":"/news/november-2025-speaking-on-panel-two","crumbs":[{"pathname":"/","crumbLabel":"Home"},{"pathname":"/news","crumbLabel":"news"},{"pathname":"/news/november-2025-speaking-on-panel-two","crumbLabel":"november-2025-speaking-on-panel-two"}]}}}, "staticQueryHashes": ["1023626402","1121864969","2186305452","2392720032","2920111332","3108305089"]}