Community Learning Champions
The Community Learning Champions Project was undertaken at Dunstable College and funded by ESF.
The projects main aims were to:
- To raise the levels of Basic Skills in the adult population of Houghton Regis.
- To widen participation in learning and to develop and extend family learning thus supporting strategies for neighbourhood renewal and community capacity building.
- To raise standards in learning, to raise achievement and skills levels of the adult population and to maximise the contribution of education to economic renewal by providing a range of opportunities for acquiring skills, knowledge and understanding.
- Developing the participants skills, through formal or/and informal training, and access to information for example using the resources available at Dunstable College.
To develop and expand on the Community Development groups currently working in Houghton Regis. Support the development of local and council wide strategies, ensuring the provision of seamless services, with access to expert services where required.
The Learning Champions
20 Learning Champions were recruited onto the project; they came from a range of backgrounds, some facing multiple disadvantages. All have little or no previous experience of community activity or volunteering and many have had no formal learning. Those recruited have expressed their desire to make a real difference both to themselves and their communities.
The project designed a flexible training package for the learners, which gave them the skills and knowledge they needed to motivate and support other people to re-enter training or employment.
The training also built the confidence and encouraged the Learning Champions to foster their own talents and abilities. Through outreach work in the Community Learning Champions began to understand the role of the key-learning providers in Houghton Regis and Dunstable enabling them to advise and inform others.
The one year project ended in June 2005. In that time the Learning Champions helped 147 learners back into college, school and employment.
Related Pages:
- YMCA
- The Miracle Community Centre
- Cauldwell Lower School
- Peter Pan Nursery School
- North Bedfordshire Council for Voluntary Service
- Renaissance
- Relate Bedfordshire and Luton
- Downside Network
- Skills for Life Project
- Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC) 2005-2006
- Level 4 ESOL Project
- Funding Support for BME Learning Activities
- Vocality Project
- Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC) 2006-2007
- ESF Signpost Project
- Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC) 2007-2008
- LLDD E-Learning Pilot Project
- Investing in Communities 2007-08
- Capacity Building Development Programme for Community Learning
- BME Capacity Building Project