Community HubYour news from Lancashire Adult Learning

Spring 2017

Talk English

Read more inside...Page 9

Creating newsletters

Page 3

Family Learning success

Page 8

LAL on the radio

Page 5

Welcome

Welcome to the Spring issue of Community Hub, the latest news from Lancashire Adult Learning.

Over the following pages you can read about the great work being done by LAL and the benefits to communities of the partnerships we have formed. There are some truly inspirational stories on how learning in adult life can help both individuals and the wider community.

We are also thrilled to share with you the latest details of our staff hub move from Lancashire College to Brierfield Mill. While our base is moving, we will be continuing to offer an extensive programme of courses across the county, as well as developing our provision to meet the needs of local communities (see page 4 for more details).

If you have any queries about LAL, do not hesitate to contact our team by ringing 0333 003 1717 or take a look at our website www.lal.ac.uk to find out more about what we offer.

You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter for more updates and news.

Amanda Melton, Principal.

ContentsNewsletter groupNews round-upVolunteer trainingAdvocacy through artFamily Learning successTalk EnglishPre-GCSE courseCourses on offer

Page 3Page 4Page 6Page 8Page 8Page 9Page 10Page 11

0333 003 1717 www.lal.ac.uk www.facebook.com/LancashireAdultLearning @LancsLearning2

A group of Chorley campaigners went back to the classroom with Lancashire Adult Learning to create a newsletter to support their work for the local community.

Two local campaign groups have benefited from help from LAL’s Community Development team to create and produce a regular newsletter, keeping members and the wider community up-to-date with the latest information and developments around their campaign to halt cuts to local services.

0333 003 1717 www.lal.ac.uk www.facebook.com/LancashireAdultLearning @LancsLearning

We would like to take this opportunity to say thanks to Lancashire Adult Learning’s

community liaison for organising the Newsletter course. We have now produced our third edition and are all thoroughly enjoying the experienceLearner Sue Holdsworth

The newsletter course is just one of a number of courses LAL has run on request with partner agencies. If you, or a community-based group you know, would be interested in this or other courses with LAL, please get in touch with the Community Development Team on 0333 003 1717.

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LAL helps local campaigners

News round-up

0333 003 1717 www.lal.ac.uk www.facebook.com/LancashireAdultLearning @LancsLearning

SKILLS in schools

Our Family Learning team is currently delivering the Family SKILLS (Supporting Kids in Literacy, Learning and School) programme to three Lancashire schools (Cherry Fold Primary School, Pendle Primary Academy and Marsden Primary School) as part of a nationwide research project to support families who have English as an additional language (EAL) with Family Literacy.

The programme aims to raise children’s literacy attainment by enabling parents of reception-age children to feel more confident about supporting their children’s literacy studies.

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Lancashire Adult Learning’s move to Brierfield Mill

Lancashire Adult Learning is preparing for some exciting changes, with its main base transferring to Brierfield Mill later this year. We are delighted to share with you all the details we have so far about the move.

Following a Growth Deal Investment with the LEP and LCC, work on the Mill is making excellent progress, and we are looking forward to opening our new base, which will include:

The move will not impact on the courses we currently offer in Chorley and the surrounding areas, and we will, as ever, be reviewing and developing our courses to meet the needs of local communities. The development, in collaboration with PEARL, is set to be a brand new hub – in the community, for the community. In addition to LAL, it is also set to include a leisure complex by Burnley Football in the Community, Training 2000’s new Cyber Centre, a four-star hotel and business units.

• A stylish new reception • A specialist LDD facility• Arts and IT classrooms

• Dedicated meeting and conference rooms• A ‘FREE space’ teaching and learning zone

0333 003 1717 www.lal.ac.uk www.facebook.com/LancashireAdultLearning @LancsLearning 5

Helping people make a new start

Our Health and Wellbeing team have been working closely with Lancashire Community Restart to provide information, advice and guidance to help people access a range of training and education opportunities.

Whichever pathway people choose around education and training, the Restart programme makes sure that they get the right support and encouragement to make the most of the route they choose.

Community Restart has enabled people to:

LAL on the radio!

Have you heard us on the radio recently? BBC Radio Lancashire have been dropping into classes to speak to learners and find out what LAL is all about! Presenter Jacquie Jones visited a Spanish class in Chorley and also invited a group of our ‘Research and Write About Your Ancestors’ learners to tell listeners all about the course live on air at their Blackburn studio.

Keep listening for more ‘LAL live’!

• Find the right course for them• Gain funding information• Receive additional support to help them stay in education and training

For more information contact our Health and Wellbeing team on 0333 003 1717.

Take the time to try something new as part of the Festival of Learning. Treat yourself to one of our FREE taster sessions.

Book your place today!

Call 0333 003 1717

Looking for a job?Our work clubs are FREE to attend and run in places close to where you live.

Book your place today!

Call 0333 003 1717

We have been working in collaboration with Lancashire County Council to support their strategies around adult health and social care. In health and social care services across the country there are as many volunteers as there are paid employees – around 3 million of each. LAL met with the Director of Public Health to discuss the development of a project which involves the design and delivery of a Volunteer Programme, which would culminate in planned work placements for volunteers across the care sector, including in residential homes, care homes and day centres.

LAL’s aim is to recruit 50 volunteers and support them to contribute to their local communities and ultimately develop and sustain the skills needed to support health and social care organisations. The long term aim of the initiative would be to encourage and facilitate some of these volunteers to progress into further study and a subsequent career in a health and social care setting.

A free, 12-week training programme has been developed, which includes:

Finding out about volunteering and becoming a volunteer Volunteering and voluntary organisations Working as a volunteer with a chosen organisation Health and Safety First Aid Safe and sound awareness Understanding effective customer relations Developing interpersonal skills Dementia awareness Mental health awareness Conflict resolution Mentoring and befriending

The flexible and adaptable programme is aimed at anyone who is already volunteering or is interested in becoming a volunteer, or people who would like to change career to a health and safety setting.

As part of this collaboration, LAL has become a Time Credits ‘Earn’ partner, which means that volunteers can earn time credits for their volunteering – one hour of volunteering equalling one Spice Time Credit voucher. Vouchers can be spent on adult learning courses as well as other leisure activities.

The Volunteer Training Programme is currently running in Chorley, Clitheroe and Burnley and we are looking for other suitable venues and partnerships. For more information, call our Community Development Team on 0333 003 1717

0333 003 1717 www.lal.ac.uk www.facebook.com/LancashireAdultLearning @LancsLearning6

Training the volunteers of the future

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Volunteer trainees in action!

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Confidence and independence at the stroke of a brush!Learners in Lancaster have been improving their communication, confidence and independence through creative art.

Our Advocacy through Art programme is designed to help learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities explore a range of art techniques, allowing learners to plan, design and make decisions around their own unique pieces of artwork and help improve independence, self-confidence and communication skills.

Curriculum Leader Elaine Craddock said: “The Advocacy through Art programme is a great initiative where learners can improve their lives in a creative environment.

“As well as working on their own to promote independence, learners are also encouraged to work in pairs and in groups to allow social interaction with one another. Work is evaluated collectively too with the aim of boosting self-confidence and communication skills. This truly is a brilliant programme.”

Family Learning in partnership successLAL’s Family Learning team has had great success working in partnership with St Philip’s CE Primary School in Nelson.

Our involvement with St Philip’s began with the delivery of a ‘Ready Steady School’ taster session last year, designed to prepare younger children for starting school in September. The school’s Family Liaison Officer had been struggling to maintain engagement with children starting school and their families for a variety of reasons.

The school was particularly pleased with how our teacher worked with the group, and her encouragement and support made the courses a success. We have since run a Family ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and SACLAD (Supporting a Child’s Learning and Development) course with the school. We will also be working with St Philip’s and Burnley Partnership Trust to roll out a ‘School Readiness’ pilot programme to targeted schools across Burnley and Pendle over Summer 2017.

0333 003 1717 www.lal.ac.uk www.facebook.com/LancashireAdultLearning @LancsLearning 9

LAL Talk EnglishLearners across Pendle, Burnley and Accrington have been benefiting from LAL’s innovative Talk English project. The initiative, funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government, helps learners whose first language isn’t English.

We have delivered the training in conjunction with Nelson and Colne College, which saw 18 students take their first steps into teaching, completing a five-week course to help educate others across East Lancashire.

The newly qualified volunteer teachers will teach Muslim women in Pendle, Burnley and Accrington conversational English with the aim of improving integration within communities and reducing social isolation. Learners are often not ready to go into a College environment but they will be taught the functional skills that they need and it will really make a difference.

The students, all aged between 16 and 19, have become the first in their age category in Lancashire to become volunteer ESOL teachers on the nationally acclaimed Talk English project.

Javiria Rukhsar, 17, said: “I thought the project was a very worthwhile one. It will be great to teach and will be beneficial for me as well as the learners. It will allow me to build my confidence.”

Andrea Cowton, Curriculum Leader for Maths and English and Preparation for Life at LAL, said: “I’m delighted that all the students have completed the course and it is great that 18 young people felt inspired to sign up on a voluntary basis to improve the lives of others.

“The project is really important and is aimed at improving community cohesion. This is not just people of diverse backgrounds, but also people of different generations.

“Some of the students have started teaching and will teach classes of up to 20 in size. They are welcome additions to the 30-plus volunteers already teaching 300 people with low levels of English across the county.”

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Learners on the fast track

Learners wanting to fast track their way to further study or work free of charge are set to benefit from our new pre-GCSE courses

The courses in English and Maths – two key functional skills – have taken place at the Pendle Haven Centre, in Nelson.

The courses will allow learners to progress onto a Maths and/or English GCSE course with LAL or Nelson or Colne College from September, to improve their Maths and English skills and boost their employment prospects.

One learner who is already seeing results after completing one of LAL’s functional skills courses is Louise Draper from Chorley.

Louise, 32, left school with no GCSEs, having had to finish her education early to look after her baby sister.

No Maths or English qualifications meant it was almost impossible to find a job and she also struggled to help her 14-year-old daughter with homework. Louise has suffered from anxiety, finding it hard to even sit in a room with strangers, so enrolling on a course with LAL was a big step.

However, with the support she needed from both teachers and fellow learners, she made fantastic progress on a Maths course, moving from Entry Level 3 to Level 2 within six months.

Louise can now help her daughter with homework, feels motivated and rewarded and in 2016, she was LAL’s Learner of the Year.

For more information on our pre-GCSE courses, call 0333 003 1717

Kick start your summer...There is still time to sign up for one of our courses, so why not learn something new with LAL?

Oil Painting Printmaking Holiday Languages First Aid

Relaxation and Positive

ThinkingWeb Design

Digital Photography

English and Maths ICT Employability

Mindfulness ...and much more!

0333 003 1717 www.lal.ac.uk www.facebook.com/LancashireAdultLearning @LancsLearning 11

Enrol today! Call 0333 003 1717 or visit www.lal.ac.uk for more information on courses running in your area

There will be lots to see and do at our Family Fun Day and Summer Open Event, with a wide range of family fun activities, from face painting to bouncy castles, as well as adult course enrolment and advice!

Refreshments will be available to purchase or feel free to bring

along a picnic!

• Arts and crafts• Fun with robotics• Green screen filming

There will also be a range of FREE children’s

play activities to include...

For more information, please visit www.lal.ac.uk or www.nelson.ac.uk

0333 003 1717 01282 440 272or

• Treasure hunt• K’NEX ...and much more!