Zoe Matthews

Strategic Health Manager

Friends, Families and Travellers

Zoe Matthews is a trained psychiatric nurse, who has always taken a keen interest in the interplay of culture, politics and health. This led to degrees in Anthropology and Sociology and an MA in Health promotion (Europe). Zoe has worked with Gypsies and Travellers since 1995, initially researching how their social exclusion can impact upon health outcomes. This led to work at Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT), which is the only national charity that works on behalf of all Gypsies and Travellers regardless of ethnicity, culture or background.

Zoe is interested in working with Gypsies and Travellers at the grass roots in order to get their voices heard and the necessary policy changes which will improve the health of the community. Zoe has written for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, as well as the Race Equality Foundation and advised on the National Inclusion Health Working Groups, as well as other national policy groups. Zoe is also a Trustee of National Voices, a charity which is an umbrella organization for over 130 health and social care charities and a strategic partner to the department of Health.