FFT Awards night 2026 – a big thank you from Dee Cooper!
Dee Cooper, founder of ‘Write Into Culture’ and regular Travellers Times journalist, attended the 2026 FFT Awards at South East Dance Space in Brighton, where her project won the Arts, Culture and Heritage Award. Here Dee reflects on that achievement a week later.
A truly proud moment for us all at Write Into Culture and one we will carry forward with us … writes Dee Cooper.
We were overwhelmed just to be nominated. With so many talented groups in the running, each creating safe and vital spaces within their communities, it was an honour to stand alongside them.
Write Into Culture was established in 2023 as the first all-women’s GRT-led writing safe space. Since then, we have grown and developed, and have been fortunate enough to perform in some wonderful places, sharing authentic lived experiences through memoir, poetry, and performance.
Through our writing, we aim to raise awareness of our communities, offering both unique perspectives and the shared threads that connect us through culture.
For so long, storytelling within our communities has been carried through oral tradition, stories handed down, shared, and kept alive through voice and memory. Growing up, there were very few books on shelves that truly represented us, and the ones that did were often written by people outside of our communities.
This ever-expanding space of writing and publishing our own stories matters deeply. It matters for us, and it matters for future generations.
And the same can be said across other areas too, media, sport, education, and health, all of which are represented within the work celebrated at the Friends, Families and Travellers Awards 2026.
Of course, it would have been lovely to see everyone win. But what FFT has created is something truly special, bringing people together and shining a light on those who are championing our communities and creating these vital spaces.
So many give their time freely and tirelessly, for the greater good. People working with kindness, compassion, and integrity, not for profit or personal gain, but to be seen, to be heard, and to give voice to so many others.
What was especially powerful was sharing the evening together, all our communities coming together as one. FFT honoured every nominee with flowers, and we all stood on stage together, sharing in our collective efforts and pride in our heritage and culture, while honouring our elders and ancestors.
Thank you to FFT for such a meaningful evening, and congratulations to everyone involved. Long may this occasion continue, and may our community groups keep growing in strength, so we are seen and heard in all spaces.
It is not simply a case of “nothing about us without us.” This is testimony that we can do it for ourselves.
Congratulations to everyone, keep rising and continue to shine.
A special thank you also for the beautiful awards themselves, designed and made by Ella’s Emporium. Such thoughtful and striking artwork, and a reminder of how important it is to continue supporting small community businesses.
Full list of winners for 2026:
Education Award – Janna Elliot
Inspirational Young Person Award – Vlad Balaz
Arts, Culture and Heritage Award – Write Into Culture
Sporting Excellence Award – Konnie Grace
Inspiring Project Award – Bradford Women’s Group
Alexander Award for Lifetime Achievement Maggie Bendell Smith
And this year there was also a Courage Award, which is a special award which receives no nominations. It is given to exceptional individuals who show courage, bravery and determination in the face of adversity.
This year, the Courage Award was awarded to Wendy Smith, a Romany Gypsy woman from York, who joined Friends, Families and Travellers and Liberty to challenge the government’s discriminatory Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (PCSC).
Wendy’s legal victory led to the government reverting the 12-month area ban for Gypsies and Travellers (who intend to reside), back to 3-months.
All the nominees:
https://www.gypsy-traveller.org/news/fft-awards-shortlist/
A final, heartfelt congratulations to Maggie Bendall Smith for her lifetime achievement award. A woman so deeply respected by all who know her, and by so many who know her name.
Dee Cooper for TT News – with extra reporting from Mike Doherty
(Lead image by Dolly)
