LfCI LEARNING FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Evaluation of the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA)

Learning for Community Involvement (LfCI) Project

April 2012

Mary Curran Applied Research and Consultancy

April 2012

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Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the co-operation of managers and staff from the Workers’

Educational Association and partner organisations in providing information and actively

participating in this evaluation.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank the Learning for Community Involvement learners

who participated in the evaluation focus groups.

Mary Curran Mary Curran Applied Research and Consultancy

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Contents

Section Page 1. Executive Summary 4 2. Introduction

The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) The Learning for Community Involvement project (LfCI)

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3. Evaluation methods 9 4. Findings: Outcomes and impact of the LfCI project 11

4. 1 Engagement of hard-to-reach groups in learning for active citizenship

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4.2 Improvements in self-esteem, confidence, skills, and wellbeing

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4.3 Improved appreciation of the needs of others in the community, and community cohesion

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4.4 Increased community participation and volunteering 16 4.5 Participation in local decision making 17 4.6 Taking action to improve or save local services 18 4.7 Sustainability of LfCI outcomes and impact 22

5. Effectiveness of the processes used to meet the LfCI project objectives

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5.1 Engaging residents of deprived communities in community learning and empowerment processes

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5.2 Teaching and learning 25 5.3 Project management 27 5.4 What could have worked better and learning points for the

WEA 28

5.5 Sustainability of LfCI outcomes and impact for the WEA 29 6. The political context for LfCI 31

6.1 LfCI supports government agendas and policy initiatives 31 6.2 The economic and political environment 32

7. Recommendations 34 8. References and web links 35 Appendix A LfCI Sample of LfCI activities by region 36 Appendix B LfCI contributing to the ‘Big Society’ examples from case

studies published in Getting Involved (1st year LfCI report) 37

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1. Executive Summary The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) Learning for Community Involvement (LfCI) project was funded 2009-2012 by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to increase awareness of opportunities for social and public participation, and the confidence and skills for active citizenship. The LfCI project provided 200-300 educational activities and courses for adults in every English region. 3,398 beneficiaries had participated in LfCI activities by 16/04/2012 (587 in year 1, 1,563 in year 2, and 1,248 in year 3). These are the LfCI project’s direct or primary beneficiaries. There were also 36,2971 indirect or secondary project beneficiaries attending WEA mainstream community involvement strand courses which have an enhanced active citizenship focus as a result of the LfCI project. The project evaluation found that:- � The LfCI project contributed to government agendas of active citizenship, social and

community cohesion, and the Big Society � LfCI increased engagement of hard-to-reach groups in learning and active citizenship � Learners identified improvements in their self-esteem, confidence and skills as a result of

LfCI activities, which improved their quality of life and wellbeing and increased their social and public participation

� Learners also described increased awareness of the needs of others in the community, volunteering, participation in local decision making, and taking action to improve or save local services as a result of LfCI activities

� The LfCI project was undertaken within a political and economic context of cuts in public and voluntary sector expenditure and services. Learners who took action to try to improve or save local services had variable levels of success. Some people were still determined to continue taking action on issues that mattered to them, while others felt let down by democratic processes and less likely to take action again. There could be implications for the future of active citizenship in a context of cuts to local services, with perceived or actual limits in the power of local communities to influence these

Critical success factors for engaging residents of deprived communities in adult education for active citizenship were identified � Positive action and labour intensive development work was undertaken to engage ‘hard-to-

reach’ and disadvantaged groups in learning for community empowerment � Working closely with over 50 local partner organisations helped LfCI to reach and consult

with potential participants about their concerns and needs, and to recruit learners. The partners enhanced the experience for learners by providing familiar community venues, support, signposting and referral, volunteering and progression opportunities

� Teaching and learning activities were developed by tutors and organisers, often with input from partners, to meet identified needs and link with local initiatives. Course content was rooted in the concerns and interests of learners, with participative and fun methods to enhance confidence, knowledge, and skills and encourage questioning

� The tutors were experienced and skilled in with working with learners in community settings. Some tutors were involved in development work, and some had local knowledge or contacts because they were from the communities or had worked in community settings. Some tutors were ‘home grown,’ that is they had been WEA learners themselves and then trained to become tutors

� Experience and resources were shared across regions through dissemination events and an intranet resource bank. Activities developed in one area were offered in other areas and adapted for the local context. Some learners from different areas met to share experiences and ideas. However, to date, dissemination of project resources is uneven

� The model of project management for LfCI was national management with local project activity in the curriculum areas of active citizenship, health and personal development, and information and communications development (ICT)

1 WEA enrolment data at 16/04/12. Year 1 of LfCI project - 11,421, 2

nd year - 12,125, 3

rd year -12,751

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� Project management of LfCI was effective, however, WEA systems and infrastructure were not always geared up for the requirements of project work. The LfCI funding was allocated to WEA regions who bid for funding for local projects in 3 funding rounds on the basis of a clear process and assessment criteria. Regional project workers had freedom to develop their local projects to meet local needs, subject to regular monitoring and review

� While all of the 9 WEA regions did participate in LfCI and activities were run in every English region, participation was very uneven. 67% of LfCI local projects were run in 3 regions, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands, and West Midlands - regions with substantial existing experience in learning for active citizenship

� The project funding did not cover all elements of the LfCI project, and there was a contribution to the project from core staffing costs and work undertaken on top of contracted hours by highly committed staff

� The sustainability of some local projects was adversely affected by funding cuts to voluntary sector partner organisations which were undergoing significant re-structure, job losses, and even closure

� In some WEA regions the sustainability of LfCI project outcomes could be affected by WEA re-structuring

Recommendations for development beyond the WEA The WEA to build on local, regional and national voluntary sector partnerships to:- � Enhance dissemination of the LfCI project and other WEA work which has engaged people

from disadvantaged communities in learning for active citizenship � Enhance sustainability of active citizenship learning and development, through local

partnerships which are part of local structures and processes � Share evidence of the process and impact of increasing engagement in active citizenship,

particularly of people from disadvantaged communities � Present evidence at local, regional and national levels to support funding bids and attempt

to influence policy � Review and explore evaluation approaches to enhance comparability and transferability,

including Social Return on Investment (SROI)2 methodology Recommendations for development within the WEA � Integrate the learning from LfCI into regional self-assessment and improvement plans � Develop further the integration of project ‘best practice’ and methodology into the

mainstream programme � Review the process and criteria for bidding for grants and contracts for project work to

ensure costs are fully covered, and prioritise bids which focus more on quality and transferability of outcomes than on quantity of courses and learners

� Review WEA systems and infrastructure, including the WEAMIS management information system to ensure appropriateness for project work (particularly nationally coordinated and cross regional projects) and provision of individual learner data

� Review use of ICT to disseminate LfCI, and other project resources. There is an LfCI resource bank on the WEA intranet but this is under-used. Undertake consultation with regional staff about their experience and needs in accessing teaching and learning resources, and develop an accessible process to meet their needs

� Strengthen national and regional curriculum leadership to develop creative ways to embed citizenship into the mainstream curriculum areas, share experience and resources

� Enhance cross-curriculum active citizenship support, including development of model learning objectives, tutor training, and establishment of cross-regional mentoring so that

2 http://www.thesroinetwork.org/

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tutors experienced in learning for active citizenship could mentor other tutors by phone and offer visits to observe local good practice

� Review evaluation approaches to develop community skills and participation in local evaluation research, enhance comparability and transferability across the WEA and with other relevant projects, and develop Social Return on Investment (SROI) approaches to measuring impact

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2. Introduction The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is the UK’s largest voluntary-sector provider of adult education. The WEA was founded in 1903 to support the educational needs of working men and women who could not afford to access further or higher education. Today the WEA provides courses for all kinds of adults but maintains the mission to provide educational opportunities to adults facing social and economic disadvantage. WEA aims and values also have a strong community focus:-

Changing and enriching lives through learning – at individual and community levels Believing in people, communities and their potential to change through education

The Learning for Community Involvement (LfCI) project is part of the English WEA’s Community Involvement strand (48% of WEA provision) which provides courses for groups or individuals who want to develop their skills and knowledge in order to play a fuller role in their community. There are three WEA strands of provision. The other two strands are Second Chance to Learn -providing vital skills and often lead to qualifications (17% of WEA provision) and Cultural Studies -courses open to all and largely run through one of the WEA’s local branches (35% of WEA provision). The WEA works in all of the 9 English regions with hundreds of partner organisations to provide over 5,000 WEA courses each year in the Community Involvement strand, typically to members or service users of the partner organisations. The courses are created around the needs of the learners and run in local venues such as community centres, schools and health centres, many in some of the most disadvantaged urban and rural communities. The Learning for Community Involvement (LfCI) project The WEA Learning for Community Involvement (LfCI) project was funded 2009-2012 by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) through grant aid from The Empowerment Fund. The Fund was part of the wider framework to meet targets within Public Service Agreement 213 – to build more cohesive, empowered and active communities. The aim of the LfCI project was to increase awareness of opportunities for social and public participation, and the confidence and skills for active citizenship. Specifically, DCLG funding has allowed the WEA to:

- employ community development workers to enhance WEA capacity to reach new excluded/disadvantaged communities

- employ curriculum leaders in the areas of ICT, health and citizenship to enhance the Community Involvement strand curriculum for the development of the skills, knowledge and confidence that will enable people to become active citizens

- offer short, flexible, innovative, bite-sized learning opportunities and enrichment activities which develop from and link with local issues and needs

- enhance WEA capacity to empower excluded/disadvantaged communities through community based adult education programmes

- build on the WEA’s partnership work with local communities to increase levels of active citizenship among those at risk of social exclusion

The LfCI project has run 200-300 ICT, health, and citizenship activities and courses for 3,398 beneficiaries in all 9 English regions. Activities included How to Campaign, Community Involvement using ICT, Local Issues, Me 2 (Get Active), Voices for Health, and Introduction to Immigration, Nationality and Asylum (see Appendix A, p36 for sample of LfCI activities). The LfCI project included short or one-off activities and longer courses. For simplicity, in this report all LfCI project activities and courses will be called activities. The learners on specific LfCI courses and activities are direct or primary beneficiaries of the project. In addition WEA

3 Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets were abolished in 2010

http://www.gmcvo.org.uk/content/local-area-agreements-scrapped

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community involvement strand learners are indirect or secondary project beneficiaries, as their courses include elements of learning for active citizenship which have been developed through the LfCI project and embedded into mainstream courses. The LfCI project had a particular focus for each of its three years. In the first year of project, the focus was to engage learners in one-off activities, events and short courses. In the second year, the focus was on running longer courses, sharing teaching and learning resources, and transferring successful activities to other WEA regions. In the third year (which is continuing at the time of this evaluation) there is a focus on embedding the project work into mainstream WEA courses through training tutors and piloting activities with secondary beneficiaries. This work to integrate LfCI into WEA courses is within all three strands of provision, Community Involvement, Second Chance to Learn and Cultural Studies. Some of these activities have taken place across all three years of the project. The WEA has published two reports on progress of the LfCI project, Getting Involved (WEA, 2010, http://is.gd/cK06U) and Getting Active (WEA, 2011, http://bit.ly/nrmTSq).

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3. Evaluation methods The purpose of the LfCI evaluation was to:-

� Measure the impact and progress of the LfCI project activities in relation to meeting the intended outcomes

� Capture the experiences of beneficiaries enrolled on LfCI educational programmes and activities

� Identify the processes used by WEA to meet the projects intended outcomes � Capture the experiences of WEA staff in developing and delivering LfCI activities � Identify areas of good practice in relation to engaging residents of deprived communities in

adult education and meeting Big Society priorities � Make recommendations to inform future work to help people from disadvantaged

communities to become more active citizens The research was planned and conducted using recognised ethical good practice (British Sociological Association, 2002). The methods used were:- Primary research. Focus groups with 32 LfCI learners in total, and telephone interviews with 11 project staff. Secondary research. Desk research of quantitative and qualitative data collected by the LfCI project, (including enrolment data, monitoring reports, learner evaluations, learner case studies, and partner organisation survey responses); and a literature review of relevant policy documents. For the primary research the methodology was qualitative, to seek the interpretations of the research participants in their own words. Bryman says qualitative research as emphasises ‘seeing through the eyes of research participants; description and context’ (Bryman, 2004, p266). The research is influenced by emancipatory approaches in that it ‘focuses on the lives of diverse groups…that traditionally have been marginalised’ (Robson, 2002, p28). Before the focus groups, potential participants were fully informed about the purpose of the focus group and the way the data would be used. All participants gave written consent for their participation in the focus group, and for audio recording the discussion. The audio recordings were transcribed for analysis. Five focus groups were undertaken of LfCI learners in four areas in the Yorkshire and Humberside, North West, and West Midlands regions. The groups were:-

- An Active Citizenship for Mental Health group at a MIND Centre - A Me 2 (Get Active) and Media Studies group at an occupational and social centre for

people with disabilities - Two Making your Voice Heard groups who campaigned to try to save their local swimming

pool from closure - A Me 2 (Get Active) course for an Endurance UK group, for socially excluded adults, to help

break negative life-cycles related to drug or alcohol abuse, prison, mental health issues, self-harm and violence

There were 21 women and 11 men in the focus groups. The swimming pool campaign groups were all female, while the other groups were just over half male.

The groups and areas for focus groups were not a representative sample of LfCI learners but chosen by local project workers on the basis that it was feasible to get a group of LfCI learners together. In practice this was learners who had completed a LfCI course of 10 weeks or more and were continuing to meet as a group. This limited the sample and did not include the full range of LfCI learners. The LfCI project also included shorter course, one-off activities and LfCI sessions as part of WEA ICT courses. It was not seen as possible to bring learners from these shorter courses together for a focus group. However, comments from these learners (from

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course evaluations, learner case studies, and monitoring reports) were included in analysis of secondary data. Of the 11 staff interviewed, there were 4 project workers, 3 curriculum coordinators, 3 tutors, a development worker, a Project Board member, and the LfCI Project Coordinator. Some people had more than one role. There were 7 women and 4 men. The evaluation findings have been analysed with reference to the analytical framework for community empowerment evaluations published by the DCLG (2009, Dickinson and Prabhakar).

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4. Findings: Outcomes and impact of the LfCI project 4. 1 Engagement of hard-to-reach groups in learning for active citizenship The WEA is successful in reaching people from communities with high indices of deprivation and engaging them in learning. The table below shows the extent to which the WEA is engaging learners from particular sections of the population in Community Involvement strand courses in the curriculum areas of the LfCI project4.

WEA Academic Year 2010/2011 Community Involvement Strand

Enrolment Profile Statistics5 (completed courses only)

ICT Active Citizenship

Health, Fitness & Personal Dev

Number of enrolments 6,521 862 5,304

% declared with physical disability 34% 21.3% 39.3% % declared with learning disability 11.2% 11.6% 12.8% % declared Ethnic Minority 23.4% 33.7% 38.8%

% from disadvantaged postcode area 48.2% 46.2% 51.6% % Fee Remitted (on means tested benefits) 64.9% 26.7% 53.5%

% below educational Level 2 at entry 69.5% 19% 71.9% 4.2 Improvements in self-esteem, confidence, skills, and wellbeing (DCLG evaluation framework6) Learners in focus groups, course evaluation and other documents reported significant improvements in self-esteem, confidence and skills which have made a difference to their quality of life and wellbeing.

It’s helped me to develop as a person I think in a way. I realised that I had something to give, rather than just taking and expecting. I’ve learnt that the world doesn’t owe me a living. You have to put something back into the community and into the classes and the more I put back the more I get out and I’m very grateful to [the tutor] for the opportunity that it’s given me to grow as a person, you know…I was trapped in the mental health system with no way out really and this has been a godsend.

Learner, Endurance focus group

An Active Citizenship for Mental Health course helped participants to gain the confidence and skills to speak up for themselves.

Just every day like if someone will say something that I disagreed with normally I wouldn’t say anything, but because I did the course and that’s how I’ve been more outspoken and I’ve said what I want to say. I think that’s been the main thing…Well understanding a bit about higher authority and what they expect from you. Like L showed us like what to say to people and how you get your point across without being aggressive and things.

Learner, MIND focus group

4 It is not possible to extract WEA learner profile data for particular projects (like the LfCI project ). Data for the 3

relevant curriculum areas in the Community Involvement strand includes the LfCI project 5 WEA Management Information System (WEAMIS) Learner Management Report: Corporate Services Enrolment

Profile Statistics V9.0 - 12/04/2012 6 Outputs- Enhanced skills and confidence; Expanded social networks

Outcome- Improvements in the self-esteem and confidence of participants Impact- Improved quality of life and community wellbeing

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Another participant said I was just interested in what it was about. I enjoyed coming. [the tutor] was brilliant. That’s it really….Just getting your feelings and stuff off your chest if you’ve got a problem on the outside and how to deal with them and stuff.

Learner, MIND focus group

Learners described some of the differences the gains in confidence and skills were making in their lives.

For a lot of people their disability is a big hurdle to overcome, to have the self confidence to talk to people within authority. Like they say, wouldn’t it be better if you changed this and this could be the best way to do it and things like that so it has I think, as a general group and body of people, I think it generally has improved our self confidence a great deal. Yeah. We’ve all changed. And I can talk to them like I’m talking to you, that is the same. Before, I don’t know what it was but there was something where you were a little bit, you know, frightened to say what you think. I would say since coming in here anyway it’s fetched me out of myself. You know I’m more stand uppish. I speak my mind, what I think. I might be wrong but it gives me an opportunity to spread the word. One thing we’re trying to emphasise, that we don’t have disabilities, we have different abilities and to get people to understand that.

Learners, occupational and social centre focus group

Yes, I think it’s made a great difference to me and as I say I didn’t go to any social functions. I wouldn’t go, and now I do. If I’m invited along to a function I will go along. I’ve got much more confidence and in dealing with people and also I didn’t mention the allotment that we were doing. It’s a really good sort of community project that we’ve set up, sort of working with other people and I’ve really enjoyed that experience of being able to know how to grow vegetables and being part of a project. So it’s definitely helped me socially I’d say and in the community and I’ve been able to just go out a bit more on my own, mix with people. Yeah it’s very positive.

Learner, Endurance focus group A participant from the MIND centre explained how he had applied the confidence and knowledge he had gained in a real situation.

I’m trying to get a job and this is why I had some applications forms for jobs and somebody asked me to look through them and I said well I can’t do this one and I gave it back to him. He said, ‘Why not?’ He said ‘Is it because [of] the hours?’ I said no, I said, it’s the wage. He said, ‘£6 an hour?’ I says yes, the minimum wage is £6.80 now so… He says you’re right, so… Normally I wouldn’t have said anything.

He then went on to take a stand with the tutor to improve the course

Timekeeping. We’d have a set time to start and there’d be some people might come in late and it was like half of them ended up being…we didn’t really get started till half past eleven because certain people wouldn’t turn up or didn’t ring up to say that they would be late so I left the course and I gave a letter to [the tutor] explaining why and then the week she got the letter and I wasn’t there and she had an agreement with all the members to make sure they turned up on time or give a reason, to ring up beforehand so [they] would be on time here and I came back and then it was okay.

Learner, MIND focus group Some learners have gone on to further learning. A learner from the MIND group has now started English and maths classes at the centre. An Endurance group member said

I think for me when I first came here – I think it was a little over a year ago – I hadn’t been in a learning environment since I left school and a close friend of mine came here and he

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just introduced me to it and since then I’ve got, like I can write a short story. I’ve never been able to write a short story before in my life. I’ve got reintroduced to books. I read quite a lot, different types of books now. I’ve even gained some qualifications along the way which was not my intention when I came here, to get any qualifications. With coming here it introduced me into… it got me used to being in a learning environment again which then got me on to do a PTLLS [Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector] course which I’ve completed and passed the PETLLS course. Some mentoring certificates I’ve got and just stuff that I really didn’t think I was ever capable of doing or… Well I didn’t even know about that sort of stuff, you know what I mean, and now as a result of coming here and doing the work and… I may be going into [X] prison teaching or mentoring in there

Learner, Endurance focus group Other learners talked about improvements in their health

Yeah definitely to my mental health and as I’d say being able to go out the house, be more actively involved. Writing has helped me a lot, by writing, dealing with issues and confidence in my writing and even helping at the allotment. It’s quite a good exercise so, generally all round yes that has helped my health.

Learner, Endurance focus group

Since the workshop, I asked for a double appointment with my GP and I got it. [the tutor] said you have right to ask but not the right to get it

Learner evaluation feedback, East Midlands

Some learners felt they had the skills to pursue their rights, but hadn’t yet needed to use them.

Yeah we know if we want to get involved we know where to go and what to say now whereas before we didn’t have any idea. We just haven’t had any issue where we feel strongly about getting involved with it I think. It’s helping with me, personal issues and go and complain and take goods back and things and we know what our rights are and rather than just thinking this isn’t fair and then losing your temper we know how to go about things properly now; well I do anyway. I can’t speak for anyone else, but… I’m not angry doing it. Just, we get what’s fair and that’s it

Learner, Endurance focus group

People were more energised to do things, many said they were more likely to take action but it may not happen immediately. They may not contact their MPs or councillors until there is particular issue that concerns them.

Tutor Five partner organisations completed a survey about the impact of LfCI. In response to the question - Are you aware of any positive changes for your organisation, beneficiaries, or the community as a result of the LfCI activity, all 5 partners were aware of positive impacts for their beneficiaries. Changes for beneficiaries included people more able to speak up for themselves (identified by 4 partners), and improvements in self-esteem and confidence (identified by 3 partners).

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4.3 Improved appreciation of the needs of others in the community, and community cohesion (DCLG evaluation framework7) The LfCI project brought people from different backgrounds together, and the activities encouraged people to consider a range of perspectives, and to question and challenge themselves. In an analysis of 1,457 LfCI learner evaluation forms, 93% of respondents agreed with the statement - I feel that the activity/course has enabled people from different backgrounds to meet with/get on well with/ learn from each other (for example mixing social class, faith, ethnicity). Including 41% who strongly agreed. 6% of respondents disagreed with the statement. In the focus groups, learners described how they have changed.

I find I encourage my family not to be as judgemental because I’m less judgemental myself now; I can see the value of… If I like chocolate biscuits and you like fig rolls I’d be right and you’d be wrong and that’s the way I was and I’d argue with you to try [to change you]. Now, it’s not you’re wrong and I’m right. It’s an attitude of like that that I’ve learnt here, that would value judged opinions. They mightn’t be the same as ours but they’re their opinions and that helps them through in life… But I find it helps me not to judge that I’m right and people are wrong; they’re just different. And I’ve lost a lot of my pre-judgement and prejudice in that way. I don’t suppose I’ll ever get rid of it completely but I’m a lot more tolerant of other people’s beliefs and the way they live their lives because it’s not my job to change anyone is it, you know, and if they’re happy the way they are then, you know. I mean they’re not doing me any harm but I couldn’t see that at one time and now I can.

Learner, Endurance focus group The Endurance group had to overcome challenges in working with others when they started an allotment project.

Yes the allotment’s been a great thing for all of us I think, working together. I’ve been surprised really by the joy you get after eating your own grub and watching other people work. It’s a bit surprising really when we got to the allotment that the people on the allotments were not like we expected and we had to learn to deal with them. Yeah, it was our allotment but theirs is just theirs - don’t touch ours and you mustn’t do this and you must do that - and we had to learn to deal with that and it was educational. I think if I’d have tried to do it on my own I’d have lost my temper and folded but together we were able to get there and learn from it because that’s life. And that’s that we’re learning about, life, and how to deal with it in the community. The first thing we learn how to deal with it in here and then we’re able to go outside and learn how to deal with outside and learn how to deal with it outside better. But here we’re safe, you know, and yeah and I’m just working towards that and learning that a bit better.

Learner, Endurance focus group A LfCI project in Yorkshire brought different sections of the community together in an area of social housing estate affected by disadvantage.

So this whole thing about community cohesion through food and planting and getting people involved… I think even the police and the scouts have got their own planters now. So we kick started it with the LfCI planters and they’ve all got plaques on them that say they were funded by the LfCI project but now more planters have been raised money for and are appearing dotted around the Eastfield community.

7 Outcome- Increased community cohesion (relates to PSA 21, National Indicator 1) Impact- Enhanced levels of community cohesion

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So it was a real pump priming kick start. Even though the Incredible Edible idea came from Todmorden, we’re doing things slightly differently. And I think some of the planters ideas came from another project which is more about flowers but was something that somebody had seen from a project in Northern Ireland. So it’s this whole idea about taking what’s good from other areas and learning from other areas and then putting your own stamp on it, your own community, and getting people involved in the best way you can. And we’ve got people from all generations involved in the Eastfield thing. We’ve got some parents, we’ve got some grandparents, volunteers, and then a lot of the schoolchildren doing things and giving things out in their own community.

Project worker A LfCI group campaigning to keep their local swimming pool open were not just concerned about saving the pool for themselves, but also aware of the needs of others and the contribution the pool made to the community.

Well you could understand it if it wasn’t used, then you could say well that’s fair enough but it was in continual use for schools, the aqua-aerobics, by the old people It was not just the people who went to the baths. There was loads and loads of local people used it all of the time, not just us There was all sorts of things. It was a gym….Ju-jitsu, kick-boxing, salsa, belly dancing. There was stuff going on of an evening. [Now] there’s nowhere for them to go.

Learners, swimming pool campaign focus group They felt the swimming pool was also important for the health of the residents in an area with poor health indicators. Some people had been given prescriptions to use the pool to improve medical conditions. When the pool shut the nearest public pool was two bus rides and a long walk away, and so inaccessible for many.

We were called the sick city and we were told to encourage people to do exercises. Learner, swimming pool campaign focus group

Five partner organisations completed a survey about the impact of LfCI and two identified positive changes for their beneficiaries in increased community cohesion, for example tolerance of differences.

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4.4 Increased community participation and volunteering (DCLG evaluation framework8) In an analysis of 1,457 LfCI learner evaluation forms, 90% of respondents agreed with the statement - I feel that the activity/course has enabled/will help me to become more active in my community (for example attend public meetings, volunteer, campaign), including 33% who strongly agreed. 9% of respondents disagreed with the statement. Learners described many ways they were participating in their communities more actively. The group with disabilities investigated access for disabled people on trains.

We went on a train journey to see what the access like was getting from [A-B]. There was only three of us doing that because you can’t take everybody because there isn’t the room on the train and the transport and everything so three of us went on that and I mean that was a very good exercise, to find out what it was like

Learners, occupational and social centre focus group

They wrote a report about what they found and got it published in several magazines. While their actions did not necessarily bring improvements in services, most felt the action was worthwhile

They don’t always and you know the wheels don’t move quickly so… And they can only do what they can do, to be fair and when we went on the train journey it wasn’t very good, really. The access and room for the wheelchairs was totally appalling. But the help we got from the staff was second to none. They did everything they could to help, you know. It’s the access of the trains and they’re not going to change trains are they? You know what I mean? But they’re doing their best with what they’ve got, you know, so…

Learners, occupational and social centre focus group The Endurance group had set up a community allotment project.

I think the allotment just reinforces the friendships we’ve made within the group because we do actually do the allotment as a place to socialise so you get to know people within the group better at the allotment because you do socialise and it creates a group activity because we work with others from the group so it’s like a common bond, another common bond, with each other.

Learner, Endurance focus group

In the North East region, learners from the Women making a Difference course became volunteers for a mental health project. In Birkenhead a learner has become a mentor for a supported housing project for people who had been homeless and completed a preparatory course for teaching adults.

I have gained knowledge and confidence over the last year. When I came to the Ark I was completely broken. I would not have believed I would be the speaker on a course like this. I will continue to give back to the community. The mentoring project I am involved in now is very important to me.

Learner case study A learner from the MIND group said she has just been voted to be a members’ representative.

If any of the members have any problems or issues and they feel they can’t go to the staff they can come to one of the members’ reps and we’ll go to the staff

Learner, MIND focus group

8 Outputs - Enhanced capacity to engage in local issues; Increased participation in civic/civil life

Outcomes - Increased levels of civic participation ; Increased community capacity in an area; Increased social capital (including trust in each other and service providers)

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The learners who were trying to save their local swimming baths from closure, were proactive in exploring positive approaches to keep it open, including volunteering

- We had the meetings didn’t we? We discussed ways on how to keep it open, what could be done to keep it open.

- And what we were prepared to do for it to stay open. You know, we wanted to be volunteers. You know, we said we were prepared to even man the desk to the pool, do a bit of cleaning if necessary until we got the money

- A lot of those that went swimming on the Wednesday said they’d volunteer and paint the cubicles because that’s all that wanted doing; you know just freshening up a bit and brightening

- They should have looked at other ways to keep it open. There must have been ways that they could have kept it open if they’d have wanted to. They just didn’t want to keep it open.

- It’s also got a function room where they had things going on in there; other than swimming you hired the pool.

- They could have made money by doing more with that than what they did. - I think people are willing to volunteer and do the work to get the pool open but we still

needed the investment. Everybody’s willing but nobody’s got money to put in it have they?

Learner, swimming pool campaign focus group

4.5 Participation in local decision making (DCLG evaluation framework9)

In an analysis of 1,457 LfCI learner evaluation forms, 89% of respondents agreed with the statement - I feel that the activity/course has enabled me to/will help me influence decisions in my community (for example respond to consultations, vote at elections, write to my MP), including 32% who strongly agreed. 10% of respondents disagreed with the statement. In the West Midlands, after consultation with learners and partners, a Speak Out on Local Issues project produced learner packs called ‘Why Vote?’ to provide information on local politics and encourage people to become more involved with local issues. During the consultation process many people expressed frustration at knowing so little about local politics when national politics get so much publicity. Many said they didn’t vote in local elections because they received so little information they found it hard to make up their minds or couldn’t see the relevance of it to their own lives. Feedback from learners suggests that the packs provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for most of the information that they felt they needed. One learner said ‘I’d never been clear about what my local council did. I thought it was all done by the lot in the Town Centre’. The packs are being used by local residents’ groups to encourage more people to become involved in local decision making. Dawley and Ketley Parish Councils are using them for people considering becoming a parish councillor. Another individual said ‘This makes me see what the point is and that I could make a difference’.

From LfCI Round 2 monitoring report Learners in one area of Yorkshire got involved in participatory budgeting to develop community projects initiated by LfCI.

9 Output- Increased sense of influence over local decisions/issues

Outcomes- Perceived increase in ability to influence local decisions; Increased understanding of the difficult trade-offs required when making decisions about local service provision, and therefore increased perceptions of fairness; Improved understanding of the issues surrounding resource allocation Allocative efficiency e.g. reallocation of resources to better reflect the wishes of citizens; Distributive efficiency e.g. reallocation of resources in favour of those in greatest need

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We went about it in a slightly more formal way. We got the Parks and Gardens people because they came and helped us transport the big planters, they helped us buy them. You know, we raised the money through LfCI. They got them to the different schools and community organisations and went round and helped people choose the plants that they wanted in them etc. So we were working with Parks and Gardens from the borough council with the Parish Council, with the participatory budgeting group, and now since then the participatory budgeting group, which is a group of people that organises this fund of money that comes via the borough council to the parish council, they have an event every July. They get people to bid for bits of money and then we have an event in July where people have got to go and present to the community on their bid, so you can’t just a bid in on paper. Then you’ve got to go and put a little display up about your bid and you’ve got two or three minutes to speak about your bid and then anybody who’s got a postcode [in the local area] and is over the age of eight can come and vote so it’s a community thing, how they want their money spent. So this year Incredible Edible put in to transform a whole roundabout that’s become an eyesore on the estate; it’s all overgrown and that’s going to have a beehive and wild flowers and all sorts of stuff to be planted on there. So we’re continuing and next year we’re even talking about a little tiny version of an agricultural kind of show so people can come and swap plants and ideas and swap foods.

Project worker In Birkenhead, knowledge and skills about decision making were developed though LfCI activities

We talked about what we liked about our communities and what we would like to improve. We compiled a spider graph of each…We discussed voting for the homeless. We realised the homeless also have a say in community activities. We decided we would vote on two projects. A spokesperson for each project gave a 5 minute speech, supporting their project. A secret ballot took place. The sport event won. It was decided that community sports day and the park project could work side by side – one leading to the other…

Learner case study Also in the NW region, learners on an activity to increase information technology awareness and skills in local issues and democratic processes, were surprised how much information they could get from the internet and how easy it was to report complaints and contact their MP. Many of them used the ‘Fix my Street’ website to report local problems, and ‘They Work for You’ to contact their MP. One learner had then visited her MP’s surgery. All learners were surprised about how much information they could find out about their local area and this made them feel more able to get involved. One learner had used a website to report graffiti on her church wall.

From LfCI Round 3 monitoring report Five partner organisations completed a survey about the impact of LfCI and two identified positive changes for their beneficiaries in increased sense of influence over local decisions, and increased ability to hold councillors/officers to account. 4.6 Taking action to improve or save local services (DCLG evaluation framework10) Many learners become involved in action to try to improve or save local services. Learners raised awareness of the value of adult education nationally and locally, for example, through the ESOL (English for Speakers of other Languages) campaign for which an MP put an Early Day motion in parliament. In the East Midland region, links with the NHS were strengthened. In South

10 Output- Increased sense of influence over local decisions/issues

Outcomes- Perceived increase in ability to influence local decisions; Increased understanding of the difficult trade-offs required when making decisions about local service provision, and therefore increased perceptions of fairness; Improved understanding of the issues surrounding resource allocation

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Yorkshire, learners from the Working together to support women facing domestic violence course, campaigned on domestic abuse issues and went to London on a campaign march. The group of disabled learners took action to improve disability rights, particularly access.

A lot of people do think that because you’re in a wheelchair that your mind doesn’t work right either. You know, they talk over you and…

Highlights the problems that we’ve got in this country because there’s a hell of a lot of problems in this country, especially for the disabled…. Well the banks and shops and which are the best shops for shopping and which was the worst shop and where could we go and where couldn’t we go… We tried to access the businesses down town. We wrote to them expressing what problems we had getting to the businesses and the subsequent lack of trade that would be caused to these businesses so it’s in their interest to mend the situation.

Learners, occupational and social centre focus group The learners wrote to 30 businesses and got 2 responses

[A cafe owner] said they would be willing to do adjustments and we put them in touch with the right people at the council to see them….It wasn’t successful, shall we say, because of the limited room that he had inside the café. The impression of winning in all or most of the people that these guys visited was quite cheering. It reinforces my belief that people will help if they can but sometimes they just don’t know how to.

They had some successes

Well I had one yesterday morning. I went down to the café on [Y] Street. Now the British Heart Foundation, they do a good job, fair enough, but they blocked the street off with four loads of furniture, three piece suites in a block, and when I went down into the market there was a policewoman there and I stopped her. I says can I have a word with you? She says yes you can. I says well how come the British Heart Foundation can put all their stuff on the road and block at least two roads? I says now it shouldn’t be allowed. There should be space for people with disabled chairs and for those disabled walking. She said oh well it’s up to the council. But when I went down today in the café they said oh there’s been a policewoman up here yesterday and she come and told us to move all the stuff. So I thought that was brilliant. I mean because the things that we’ve done and we’ve wrote letters to lots of people, sticking up for our rights, [that] we wouldn’t have done… I feel more confident to do that now after discussions I feel that, yeah, I’m capable of doing it myself like everybody else. And about disability issues, I do and we all do, you know, and we’ve campaigned for quite a lot of stuff while we’ve been, you know… Our voices are getting heard. I think what it done for me was it’s made me more – how can I put it? I can’t think of the word – that if I go down and I see something that I don’t like, whereas before I’d walk past, I don’t walk past now. I speak what I think they should do and whether I’m right, whether I’m wrong, whether the other people don’t like it… It’s worth the paper and writing, you know, that we are… even though we are disabled that we’re alive and kicking and we won’t just lie down. If any problems come up we will see to them and they’ve got to put them right. You know what I mean?

Learners, occupational and social centre focus group And then we campaigned for the mobility scheme in W… We did, Park and Ride, yeah. …and we got one of the councillors to look up for that and they did change it and they put the facility there for 12 months where we could go hire a wheelchair or that, you know. It’s finished now because they only had the funding for 12 months but it got that moving at the

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time then, you know. It’s just speaking to the right people and putting our point of view forward, you know.

Learners, occupational and social centre focus group However, the learners campaigning to try to save their local swimming baths were not successful. The baths were closed despite their efforts.

- We signed petitions. - We protested outside the baths. - I made a placard. - Yeah we all had placards - Well I recycled my placard. It’s quite famous. I made it from different things and it stood

out - We did a lot of writing what we thought [to councillors and their MP]. - We were interviewed [for BBC TV] outside the baths and we were walking down with

the placards and that... - I’ve never protested before - No. Well we didn’t actually … I don’t think we did a protest. I think we did a

demonstration. We weren’t shouting or anything. - Maybe actually we should have done and have some of these other big protests and

maybe if there’d been stink, you know… Learners, swimming pool campaign focus group

The experience of unsuccessful campaigning has affected attitudes to future action.

- We’re all a bit disillusioned I think - Yeah - I think we are a bit disillusioned really but… - I feel as if it’s been a waste of time and effort - Yeah - They closed that and that was for the disabled. It had all equipment but, no… - That was absolutely disgraceful because it was the only pool with a lift for disabled

people in the whole of the county - I mean that went, this went, all went. There’s nothing. There’s nothing - Yeah well a lot of people won’t get involved now. It’s very difficult to get people to

become involved in, you know committed to run anything [Facilitator: Why do you think that is?] - I don’t know whether they think they’re fighting a lost cause whether they just can’t be

bothered or what, I don’t know - I think a lot of people are frightened of speaking out because they think nobody will

listen to them anyway Learners, swimming pool campaign focus group

Their feelings were affected by the way the way the process was undertaken.

- Yeah while we were having our [aqua aerobics] class they were taking all the machines and what have you

- All the machines and that was while we were in the water - That was bad that was - That’s why we knew. That’s when we started thinking this isn’t going to stay open. - Well I mean, how would you feel if you’d been campaigning and they start taking

everything out. Well you know then don’t you? - If they’re taking the sink away - You know then don’t you, well, this isn’t going to happen

Learners, swimming pool campaign focus group

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Others in the group still had a positive approach to involvement in future action. - But at least we tried. We were willing to sort of expose ourselves in one way to people

saying, oh look at them, you know, because, you know, none of us are young and… - I’d still get involved if it was something I felt strongly about. It wouldn’t have put me off - It isn’t until it actually concerns you and then you do something about it - Yes everyone seems stronger don’t they? - We learnt we’re a team together. We had a voice - We’re capable of doing things I think, well try and get things done and just… - It’s a bit like the British in the war. We all stuck together didn’t we? - Yeah - That’s what people did and I think communities, when things do… they do pull together

hopefully - I’ve still got my banner

Learners, swimming pool campaign focus group The experience of unsuccessful campaigning to save the swimming baths from closure affected attitudes to local decision making processes.

- Apparently they were all told not to go against the cut. You know, they had to vote [for cuts in expenditure]. They were all told, the MPs and the councillors, tied from above…

- Well that’s why I feel, is it worthwhile? - You stand in the rain and nothing happens - Decisions are already made. - Decisions are already made before - Yes. You know, it’s like you’re of no consequence. Ordinary people are of no

consequence - Before we found out about this it’s already been decided - Yes - Before people find out with anything - Yeah, but how did we find out? - So we didn’t have a chance. I mean like you say we’d had twelve months’ reprieve but

we haven’t got no backing now or anything Learners, swimming pool campaign focus group

This unsuccessful campaign also had a detrimental impact on the councillor-resident relationship

Everybody did different placards and there was loads of people there and we all stood outside and all the press come and they wouldn’t let them come in the pool so we all did it outside. We didn’t do any damage. We did a good, peaceful protest but there was not one councillor at that meeting; not one councillor and it’s only since it’s closed that they’ve got involved. They just… they must have known. - I think it was already agreed before we heard anything… - I would say to anybody to go down to the [council] offices when they have their open

meetings and sit in and come out of those meetings and think, are they really running us?

- You know we ought to be informed. We are the council tax payers, you know, and there’s not a lot in [the town] so we should be informed what is going to happen to it.

- Shouldn’t there sort of be people that can go and try and get on the council, but if the council are then told, ‘You can’t do anything’ so what’s the point of us electing councillors or even putting yourself forward to be a councillor…You know, what’s the point of us democratically electing them if they don’t listen to you?

- Well, you can get rid of them can’t you, the councillors? - Yeah

However, there was still a commitment to local democracy.

- Well yeah I think I’d still vote because we’ve been brought up to vote haven’t we? - I mean that’s something we’ve always done - Yeah. Emily Pankhurst chained herself to the railings. Everybody now…

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- I think I wouldn’t not vote but it’s like I said before you just lose a lot of faith in things don’t you?

- You do - Well they’ve got to buck their ideas up I’d say and start listening to what people are

saying Learners, swimming pool campaign focus group

4.7 Sustainability of LfCI outcomes and impact Learners have described above some of the ways the impact of LfCI project will be sustained longer term. There are other examples of long term benefits for learners. A project worker described how their learners are moving on from LfCI.

The people from Leeds University gave ours a tour round the university building, which was fantastic because a lot of them again were quite inspired by the whole raising aspirations thing: well okay, we’ve done an eight week course, some of them had gone on to Helping in Schools [a WEA course with national qualification] now they’re thinking about, okay, we’ve done a bit of research, we’ve done a bit of thinking, we’ve listened to and put together presentations… you know, would the possibilities to go into higher education be there for us? I know a lot of my learners have moved on (this is why a lot of them wouldn’t be available for a focus group). Some have gone into employment within schools, which again is useful because we’d talked about if they’re helping in schools a lot of their learning about health could be imparted in the classroom. Some of them have got jobs now in schools or in the community and others have gone on to further their education.

Project worker Additionally, the capacity of partner organisations to develop community empowerment programmes and activities has been increased. The outcomes and changes initiated by the LfCI project are continuing for organisations and communities in many ways. In Leicester, Genesis (a service user and carer organisation) asked the WEA for the course materials so they could continue to run the Getting the Most from the Health Service activities themselves after the LfCI funding ended. The Learning Disability Parliament in South Yorkshire has been continued by the partner organisation. A tutor on women’s mental health course in South Shields identified a need for sharing expertise with other community health projects, and additional funding was secured to develop a training programme for volunteers in Newcastle, Washington, and Northumberland. In South Shields, a project worker said ‘The school became more open to doing additional activities with parents, and recognising their skills and how they could contribute to voluntary governance.’

The Endurance group has plans to build stronger links with local communities, possibly a starting a ‘dry pub’ or café, and other projects

I think after you’ve got all the pictures and everything and the doing poetry from it all …I mean the thing is that you could always use it as at the level of promotion. The suggestion actually that came into my head is a promotional video of what is possible and maybe present it to some kids in school or something like that. You know, go into the schools and give our experience as a type of community project growing vegetables…You know vegetables for kids, and for grown ups are expensive, money can be a bit short.

Learner, Endurance focus group A physical resource from one project has provided a legacy and a focus for ongoing activity.

The pump priming money, the enrichment activities, the money we got for the planters that has become such a physical symbol of Incredible Edible around the area, all these planters, that the school kids came and some of the communities come and keep replanting and it’s really a symbol of the project.

Project worker

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Partner organisations identified ongoing impacts of LfCI. We worked as a regional partner in promoting and running the [LfCI] programme so the beneficiaries were other partner organisations and their members/users. We were involved in a number of regional events that attracted both individual learners/activists and 'workers' from organisations supporting them and running learning activities. The events formed the core of the development of a regional network (RACLA) Regional Active Citizens Learning Alliance that had a significant impact.

Leeds Communities and Organisations: Growth and Support (COGS) Ketley Parish Council worked as a consultant to the project to provide valuable local information to inform the development of the project. Learners who use the Community Centre were informed how to contact their MP and local Councillors.

Ketley Parish Council, Telford, West Midlands [LfCI] supported women to work together for a greater community impact, raised awareness of community issues and gave a forum for their discussions…We were able to provide new learning opportunities for members to become more actively engaged in their local communities. These opportunities would not have been available without the WEA. WEA staff were able to support us in developing our learning programmes and facilitate future partnership working with other local community organisation. The WEA produced a learning forum where learners’ confidence has been improved and women are now better able to influence decisions that directly impact on their own and their families’ lives.

Women’s health partner organisation

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5. Effectiveness of the processes used to meet the LfCI project objectives

5.1 Engaging residents of deprived communities in community learning and empowerment processes Engagement of deprived communities in community learning and empowerment processes was achieved through good practice in community learning – working with local networks and partnerships; taking positive action to reach and engage people from disadvantaged groups; talking to partners and local people about their concerns and needs; developing learning activities to meet these needs and link with other local initiatives, activities run in local familiar venues; teaching and learning content and methods rooted in the concerns and interests of learners and which engender questioning, challenge and empowerment. A project worker described how they identified the need for a LfCI project

Well if we start with the Incredible Edible project that is still ongoing now and keeps taking on new directions and new life and whatever. That was talking to partners who are local activists and that were very much involved in what we call participatory budgeting, looking at how they can use funds that get allocated through the parish council to develop projects that local people would want and one of the things that they recognised and identified that, you know, people talked to them about some of the green areas in Eastfield some of the areas that seemed to be wasted, and they’d heard about this Incredible Edible in Todmorden and, you know, that they were using lots of areas to be able to transform them into growing areas for the community. So a few of them had already been across to Todmorden but they wanted to maybe take more people from the community, see what they were doing there and see whether we could replicate any of that in the Eastfield area. So that was people trying to transform their area a bit. Eastfield has had a bad press for a long time. It’s often felt like it’s a bit like the forgotten area of Scarborough and it is kind of cut off a little bit from Scarborough and feels like it’s a bit of the Cinderella and doesn’t get the same facilities. So it’s those people thinking, you know, we want to re-energise our area and make it into an area that people think has got some really good innovative things going on and also develop the whole community collaboration thing, you know, to try and get people looking after other people and what better way than to feed people with healthy fruit and veg?

Project worker Learners were clear about the need for targeted provision in familiar community venues for vulnerable groups who have shared experiences and can provide mutual support.

I just think that its invaluable for people who have either had mental health issues or things related to that and need a safe place to go and feel part of a group or a community if you want to call it that but a little bit away from mainstream society where they can be understood and welcomed and feel safe and I think that provides a good foundation for them to then develop in other areas in their own lives and take what they’ve learned with them in other areas.

Learner, Endurance focus group Working closely with local partner organisations helped the project to reach potential participants from disadvantaged communities to identify needs, and recruit learners, often by word-of-mouth. Recruitment of vulnerable learners can require proactive approaches, sometimes phoning learners to remind them about activities, or even accompanying them to an initial session. Partners often provided familiar and welcoming venues for activities. Partners provided support for learners to help them get the most from the LfCI project activity, for example identifying any learners with difficulties, providing specific expertise for learners with health issues, help with travel. A special needs school in a disadvantaged estate in South Shields provided practical support, encouragement and news items for the Community Newsletter which learners

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produced. Partners provided support outside and beyond the LfCI activity, for example counselling; opportunities for learners to join other local groups and activities or become a volunteer; referral to specialist statutory and self-help services. Partners ensured there was a continuous point of contact for the learners, so the LfCI activity was not just a once a week class but a part of an organisation with community roots and presence. It can take time to get a learning group together, numbers may be low initially, and labour intensive work is required to maintain attendance.

The Incredible Edible one was not as well attended as we first envisaged but that took a while to grow. More people are involved in the project now. I think people found it a little bit hard at first to understand the project, but it did grow. The Families Get Active, we got I think about ten or eleven learners and most of them kept with the group and I think we had about seven go to the conference at the end. The one at the MIND and the mental health ones, some of the areas found it really hard to get people along. I think I managed nearly about forty learners with the four different groups in Scarborough and Whitby but that did take a lot of work and naturally with people with mental health difficulties their attendance can be a little erratic and it can be hard to sustain even when they’ve had a really productive session and got a lot out of it; you know their lives can be quite chaotic and difficult in-between the sessions. And therefore it was good to have that support of the partner organisations, perhaps having more constant contact and being able to offer support. I know they had more success in Scarborough with some of the attendance and that probably was due to people like [worker] from MIND. really backing the project up whereas I know a few of the other groups really struggled.

Project worker 5.2 Teaching and learning The content of LfCI activities and courses was developed by tutors and organisers with understanding of the concerns of the potential learners. Often WEA tutors or development workers were able to have discussions with partner organisations and potential learners to ask them about their needs, concerns and interests so they could develop learning activities relevant to needs and community contexts. Some activities were developed for specific groups, for example, Getting the most from the Health Service for carers groups in the East Midlands. In the NE region, the partner organisation, Women’s Health in South Tyne (WHIST), was closely involved in development of course content. For the Endurance group, a lot of learning (and the start of a new business) developed from a glut of marrows on their allotment.

I think one of the most exciting things was when we did the marrowfest and everybody just… I made jam and chutney and we made cakes but it started a baking trend that even if it wasn’t things from the allotment we were using we were starting to bake again and I remember baking a lemon drizzle cake because J had made one and A, so I had a go and that surprised me. I’d not baked in that way before but it was all kicked off from this marrowfest. But then J, she got back into baking didn’t she? - Yeah, she baked a cake - So she’s actually making cakes now and did she get her first order for a paid one? So that’s been nice seeing that for J hasn’t it? - And I started cooking. I hadn’t cooked for about three years and I actually started cooking again - And we would see recipes on Facebook for research and stuff going on for what we could actually do with all these marrows

Learners, Endurance focus group Other activities developed in one area were then offered in other areas and adapted for the local context, for example How to Campaign. There was a balance to find between responsiveness to local needs (developing activities locally) and sharing activities across areas and regions. There is a strong culture and practice in the WEA of local course development and ‘ownership’, with many different but similar courses offered across regions. Where LfCI activities were shared

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there were benefits for learners - having access to tried and tested good quality resources, and ideas from other areas which could ignite a new spark. Some links were made with learners from other areas. Learners from Families Get Active across Yorkshire met at an event at Leeds University where they shared ideas and experiences of local health issues and campaigning.

A lot of my people from Scarborough hadn’t been to Leeds, so a) they hadn’t been to Leeds, and b) they hadn’t been in a university and c) they hadn’t really met with learners from other projects who have gone through a very similar experience. But actually although we’d had similar objectives we’d all gone about the course for the ‘Families Get Active’ in a very different way. The Wakefield group had done a really almost academic piece of community research and put together a really professional PowerPoint presentation. My group had done a lot of community research and research within the schools but on a much more informal basis. Plus we’d done some cooking and we’d been round to the leisure centres and found out about activities that were there for families so in a different way. And I think a Barnsley group had done some similar things and some sporty activities and things so it was nice for them to see that you could tackle something, find out something, learn new things in a different way and then share stuff together…That was just a one-day event but by the end of the day it’s kind of, lots of people mixed up within groups and quite naturally just shared what they’ve been doing, shared the impact of what they’ve been doing. Some of them were quite envious about some of the things that were happening, the health opportunities happening in other areas. Some of them were bringing ideas of how they could challenge in their areas and what people have been doing in other areas. So it was quite a powerful event.

Project worker Some project workers and tutors talked about the need for activities to have a ‘hook’ for learners, for example Contact your MP may not be enough, the activities needed to be relevant to the day to day lives and concerns of learners so they have a reason to contact their councillor or MP. The activities at an occupational and social centre for disabled people focussed on investigating and campaigning for access and rights for disabled people. Health activities were based on local issues and concerns.

With my teaching with the Families Get Active in Health a lot of the learners brought things in. They did some research around their own communities. Some of them went into the local supermarkets, found out stuff about how they were promoting health. Some of them visited their local doctor’s surgeries. Others came out with me to visit leisure centres and the swimming pool and the rugby club and all sorts of things. So there was a lot of community investigation. They chose recipes that they wanted to do. So a lot of participation from the learners, talking about how they would like to do things and getting involved with their own teaching and learning and kind of devising some of their own learning methods as well. …Practical activities, like the inspiration trees and the mood boards so again a lot of it was learner centred and learner led.

Tutor The tutors were experienced in working with learners from these or similar communities. Some tutors had local knowledge or contacts because they were from the communities or had worked in community settings in other roles, for example with local partner organisations. In EM Region a development worker was employed on a 3 month contract to increase confidence and skills in using and becoming democratically involved in the NHS. She developed partnerships with local statutory and voluntary groups, and attended public NHS consultation events gaining specific knowledge which she incorporated into activities. Some tutors were ‘home grown,’ that is had been WEA learners themselves and then trained to become tutors. In the NE region, an information communications (ICT) tutor received support in interpersonal skills development. In non-community settings ICT courses are often delivered through individual learning in workshop settings. When ICT learning is integrated with community action there is more group activity and learning, so strong group work and interpersonal personal skills are need.

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Teaching and learning methods were fun, practical, participative, and experiential. In the EM region, the tutor for a How Meetings Work activity set the room up as a meeting with the learners all role-playing parts in the meeting. A high level of sensitivity and empathy is needed to work with vulnerable learners.

The style of teaching gets people who are excluded, or excluded themselves from the normal learning system. I used to just say ‘I’m not interested in that’. It’s because I was scared but I didn’t know I was scared and really you feel safe to explore the parameters, find out just what you are interested in and you’ll be encouraged. Whatever form of writing that you take or career then you’d be encouraged to go that way by the others and we’re all in it fighting each other’s corner. There’s never been an atmosphere of ‘I’m better than you’

Learner, Endurance focus group A learner from a Me 2 (Get Active) course said about a debating activity

It was a good exercise that though, it really was a good exercise, because it brought people on, gave them the confidence to speak out and give their views and with the way [the tutor] runs it she’s very good at, like you say, the ones that don’t say very much and gobby ones like me to keep shut so as the other ones got a say you know. So it was really, really good from that point of view, giving people the confidence and it’s surprising what you learn by listening to other people and their opinions. It teaches you to respect other people’s opinions, that you aren’t always right. And it’s true that. It’s true, you know.

Learner, occupational and social centre focus group A learner from Endurance described the impact of the teaching.

I think at times the magic that goes on in here…parts of something and come together and then they’re helping others as well and I believe we’ve got a unique type of group and [the tutor] with her teaching as well and it is a very relaxed… I mean I’ve been to four months of classes and here it taps into another source. Basically just allow you to flourish because I think we’ve all been blocked one way or another and it has been a seed for us to grow from and I mean personally speaking, my relationship with my daughter - we come here and we can be part of something and that’s been very precious and we’ve had some fun… It has been a delight to see and how valuable, really valuable, this type of group has been. So it has spread out and then it grows.

Learner, Endurance focus group 5.3 Project management LfCI was managed nationally by a co-ordinator working two days a week on the project for the first 2 years, then 1 day for the 3rd year, supported by an administrative worker also half a day a week. Three national curriculum leader posts for health, ICT and citizenship, based in the WM, EM and Yorkshire and Humber regions respectively, worked 2 days a week in years 1 & 2 and one day a week on the project in the 3rd year. Each region had a LfCI ‘Champion’ working 6 days a year (although most contributed more) for the first two years of the project. Some regions also employed part-time development workers. Almost all the project staff worked for LfCI alongside other regional roles in the WEA. This largely worked well, helping to link the LfCI project with other regional programmes, and enabled flexibility for workers in balancing work demands. However at times there were capacity issues for workers with heavy work loads, and difficulties in managing project workers whose line managers were outside the LfCI project. The project board member and project workers felt the LfCI project was well managed with clear purpose, objectives, targets, lines of management, regular review, and good internal and external communications. Monitoring and review processes were largely felt to be appropriate and effective, however a few project workers and tutors felt overburdened with ‘paperwork’. The project funding was allocated to regions who bid for funding for local projects in 3 funding rounds. There was a different emphasis for each round, with clear criteria and bid process. Dissemination events were held to inform regions about LfCI and opportunities to bid. Curriculum leaders gave encouragement and support for regions to bid, particularly to regions

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and areas with less experience of active citizenship work. This approach initiated and supported a diverse range of local projects. Efforts were made, through the project initiation event and ongoing support from curriculum coordinators, to involve and support WEA regions with less experience of citizenship work. The project team met monthly to review projects and set action points. Project workers felt that the project was responsive to emerging needs. For example, at the end of year 2 event, the need to engage with tutors, to filter down to them the aims of the project and how to do this, emerged more strongly and this need guided the third year of the project. Curriculum leaders felt management was democratic and inclusive, with ideas from team members being incorporated into planning. The management structure and processes underpinned a level of freedom for workers to develop projects to meet local needs.

You have freedom and trust to develop the work. You are working on your own, with support available if you ask for it

Project worker Integrating learning for active citizenship across a wider range of WEA curriculum areas was a key objective for the project. One worker felt LfCI addressed WEA curriculum weaknesses at WEA which was largely provision centred, rather than having citizenship themes across curriculum areas. The LfCI curriculum coordinator role was important for this objective. The role was reviewed regularly and priorities changed during the project. Initially curriculum coordinators briefed regional champions and supported them to develop local projects; they then focused on curriculum development and brought regions together to share ideas and resources. Later they supported individual projects, and then worked to embed LfCI in WEA mainstream curriculum through dissemination of resources and work with tutors. Project workers felt LfCI enhanced the curriculum through cross-regional and intra-regional networking on cross-curricula themes, through curriculum guidance and support, linking people, sharing good practice and resources.

It was an eye opener to see how other regions work, the differences between them Project worker

5.4 What could have worked better and learning points for the WEA While all regions did participate in LfCI, this was very uneven, see table below of the number of local LfCI projects run in each region11. Eastern E Midlands London NE NW Southern SW W Midlands Yorks &

Humber

2 8 2 3 4 2 1 6 15 Key factors for high regional participation in LfCI participation were previous experience of learning for active citizenship, high regional levels of deprivation (these two factors are linked), and larger size of the regional programme12. Limited staff capacity (in some instances linked to WEA re-structuring during 2011- see below) was a factor in low regional participation in LfCI. Some project workers reported difficulties related to the staffing structure and the balance between responsibilities to LfCI and other regional responsibilities. The regional champion role was not undertaken effectively throughout the project in all regions. Some regional champions did not volunteer for this role but were given it by Regional Directors without any reduction in their other responsibilities, and in some instances did not have capacity to undertake it effectively. There were also structural and staff changes in WEA during the project, with some regional champions leaving the WEA and not replaced. This reduced the impact of LfCI in some

11 One project was run jointly by Eastern and East Midlands regions

12 The Yorkshire and Humber is the largest WEA region with 26% of total WEA output in 2010/11

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regions. That project workers were working only a small proportion of their time on LfCI did cause some difficulties for curriculum co-ordinators who felt they had to chase project workers up for monitoring, evaluation, and other information.

It’s difficult because not you’re not their line-manager, you don’t have authority, and particularly when you don’t know the person. But I appreciate that workers may be over stretched and are doing their job too.

Project worker

A minority of project workers identified factors in the project bid funding and structure which they felt reduced the full potential of the project. There was a short lead in time for the development of local projects, particularly in the first round which meant that local activities had to be initiated and delivered quickly. Timescales for subsequent rounds were longer. In some regions it was felt that LfCI funding for 2nd & 3rd round projects did not fully cover the project costs so the project was using core WEA funding. In some instances, targets for high numbers of LfCI beneficiaries put the emphasis on quantity and limited the potential to develop more in depth work with learners. However, in areas where the WEA already had established partnerships and link with other community development initiatives the LfCI project was able to deliver more in-depth experiences for learners, despite funding constrictions. The sustainability of some local projects was adversely affected by funding cuts to voluntary sector partner organisations, some of which were undergoing significant re-structure, job losses, and even closure. WEA systems and infrastructure were not always geared up for the requirements of project work, for example there were difficulties for the management information system (WEAMIS), with coding one-off activities and reporting on individual learners. To date, dissemination of project resources is uneven. There have been dissemination events across regions and within regions, and teaching and learning resources have been uploaded to the WEA intranet (First Class) so they can be used in other regions. But a project worker said ‘it’s a work in progress to make sure materials are being used’ Underuse of the resources on First Class may be related to ending of WEA use of First Class for email, as people now don’t log in routinely and over time will become more unfamiliar with it. The focus of the final year of the project is dissemination of LfCI good practice and resources, particularly through work with tutors to embed active citizenship into WEA mainstream curriculum areas. Despite the pressures on project workers there was a recognition of the importance of the work which the LfCI made possible and that it is central to the values and purpose of the WEA.

Sometimes you just feel a bit under pressure, and because you’ve got so much else to do sometimes I felt that I didn’t give it the amount of time and energy it deserved. But in spite of that we still achieved some really good stuff. So that’s my worry sometimes; not a criticism, it’s that worry that this is the real important stuff. But you get so waylaid with lots of other stuff as well, there are so many balls to juggle that this is the sort of golden ball to really keep hold of and not lose and to focus on.

Project worker 5.5 Sustainability of LfCI outcomes and impact for the WEA The LfCI project has enhanced discussion and practice within WEA and beyond about how to engage people from disadvantaged areas more actively in their communities. The project has enhanced the integration of active citizenship as a cross-curricular theme, taking some of the elements implicit in courses and developing them to transform the curriculum. Work to embed learning for active citizenship in WEA mainstream provision is being further developed in the final project year. However it is likely that the most effective way to develop learning for active citizenship is through small scale responsive projects, which are developed through strong community links and partnerships. LfCI has provided a successful model, and further work is

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being carried out by the Education Director for Curriculum and Provision to develop guidance and support for such local projects. Project workers described some of the ways LfCI has impacted on the WEA

It’s reinvigorated and strengthened the WEA’s commitment to and practice of social purpose education Lots of tutors who had not been involved in LfCI or social purpose learning are now interested in developing materials and integrating into their courses

The project complemented work already being done, but it’s now spread more widely

We’ve developed more partnerships and strengthened some existing ones, and brought the WEA into more contact with NHS

Involving organisers is key to tutor engagement Confirmed to some people why they work for the WEA not a college

I want the individual projects to be sustained but what I want most of all is for the communality involvement agenda to be sustained. I want this to be a shared sustainability because the WEA have only got limited resources and I think that it’s important that we get lots of the big guys, the school and the local employers to be involved … I think that what we want to do with organisations is have a shared responsibility for sustaining this community involvement stuff rather than, oh the WEA will just throw on a course now and again, which will get people excited but we need to have something bigger that people are all putting some money, resources, time, effort, belief into.

Project workers

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6. The political context for LfCI 6.1 LfCI supports government agendas and policy initiatives Social and community cohesion The State of the English Cities: Social Cohesion report (2006, Turok) identifies several dimensions of cohesion, including social order, tolerance and respect for other people, positive interactions and networks between individuals and communities, and integration of people into the mainstream institutions of civil society. Increasing social or community cohesion became a government policy target as Public Service Agreement (PSA) 21- Build more cohesive, empowered and active communities. Although the PSAs are no longer in use, the government reaffirms it’s commitment to social cohesion in the 2010 Cohesion Delivery Framework.

Everyone deserves to live in a strong community, where people get along with each other, where no-one feels excluded, and where everyone has the chance to play a full part in local life….. Building cohesion has wider benefits to individuals, groups and communities

2010, Dept of Communities and Local Government, p6-7 The 2012 Dept of Communities and Local Government report Creating the Conditions for Inclusion identifies the importance of local and participatory approaches, moving the focus from legal rights and obligations around equalities and discrimination.

Today, integration requires changes to society, not changes to the law. This means that building a more integrated society is not just a job for government. It requires collective action across a wide range of issues, at national and local levels, by public bodies, private companies and, above all, civic society at large. Going forward, our first question must always be ‘how can people contribute to building an integrated England?’

2012, Dept of Communities and Local Government, p6

The role of the government is seen as to create the conditions for civic leadership on integration (2012, Dept of Communities and Local Government, p7). Active citizenship and participation Encouraging active citizenship was seen as a priority by the last Labour government, with initiatives by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and then the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). The 2008 White Paper said

We address seven key issues which we treat from the perspective of individual citizens: being active in your community; access to information; having an influence; challenge; redress; standing for office; and ownership and control.

Communities in Control: Real people, real power (DCLG 2008), p 37 Citizenship education, in schools and for adults, was seen as an important way to increase participation.

Citizenship learning is also important for adults. Some people want to know more about how local services are managed and local democracy operates. Some people need support and encouragement to have the confidence to speak up and get involved.

Communities in Control: Real people, real power (DCLG 2008), p 39

The government supported initiatives including the National Take Part Programme 2008-11 which produced the following outcomes.

Take Part helped thousands of people gain the confidence, knowledge and skills to become more actively involved in their communities People are more able to influence decision making and take action in their community as a result of the Take Part programme. Public agencies reflected on their own practice and became more open to influence.

Miller S and Hatamian A, (2011), Take Part Final evaluation report

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A 2011 study of how and why people participate in society identified three main types of participation - social (civil or community participation), public (civic or participatory governance), and individual participation, eg buying fair trade goods, using green energy, donating to charities. Pathways through Participation (2011) found that people’s participation was likely to vary at different stages in their life. Factors affecting decisions to start or stop participating included individual factors, relationships and social networks, structure, process and resources of groups and organisations, local environment, and wider societal influences. The evidence of impact of the LfCI project was largely of increased involvement in social and public participation. The Big Society (see Appendix B, p 37 for specific examples of contribution of LfCI project to the Big Society)

The Big Society is about helping people to come together to improve their own lives. It’s about putting more power in people’s hands – a massive transfer of power from Whitehall to local communities.

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/big-society-overview However, the Big Society is not primarily about active citizenship, but the third of three elements:

Community empowerment: giving local councils and neighbourhoods more power to take decisions and shape their area. Opening up public services: our public service reforms will enable charities, social enterprises, private companies and employee-owned co-operatives to compete to offer people high quality services. Social action: encouraging and enabling people to play a more active part in society.

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/big-society-overview 6.2 The economic and political environment The period in which the LfCI project has taken place, and of the development of Big Society policy, has been one of economic recession, rising unemployment, and cuts in public expenditure. This economic and political environment has had a significant impact on the voluntary sector. In an overview of the voluntary sector’s scope and characteristics, and analysis of long-term trends, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) reported that incomes of voluntary sector organisations have dropped (in real terms the sector’s income is less than in 2006/07), and inflation has driven up costs. However, the impact of the recession has also increased demand for their services. The voluntary sector has worked to meet this demand and increased expenditure on services by reducing its reserves. The most up-to-date data, that for workforce, has reported a 9% reduction in the number of paid staff for the year to the fourth quarter of 2011. The NCVO predicts even more difficulty for the voluntary sector in the near future.

Much of our analysis is based upon data for 2009/10; in effect, the last year of the Labour government. Much has happened since, both politically and economically. We would draw attention to factors likely to shape these trends: continued high inflation; the rise in VAT; and of course reductions in public expenditure. There is much anecdotal evidence that reductions in public spending are impacting upon voluntary organisations: our own estimates suggest that the sector will face a £1.3 billion drop in income from statutory sources by 2015/16

S. Etherington, Introduction to The UK Civil Society Almanac, 2012 The economic and political environment has also impacted on the credibility and viability of Big Society policy. A report on the challenges and opportunities of the Big Society by the New Economics Foundation (nef) points out that

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The ‘Big Society’ idea goes hand in hand with deep cuts in public spending. The cuts are only feasible alongside a strategy for shifting responsibility away from the state – to individuals, small groups, charities, philanthropists, local enterprise and big business. The cumulative effects of the spending cuts will have a strong influence on the way the ‘Big Society’ is realised. There will be many more people out of work, facing a punitive benefits system and drastically pared-down public services, and more polarisation between rich and poor neighbourhoods. Unpaid labour and the charitable and voluntary sectors are due to fill the gaps left by public services, providing support to increasing numbers of poor, jobless, insecure and unsupported individuals and families

(Coote, 2010) LfCI learners in a focus group showed understanding of such limitations on Big Society aims, when asked if they had heard in the news people talking about the Big Society.

- It’s getting something done for nothing isn’t it? - Letting other people do their job… - It’s all down to money; at the end of the day it’s all down to money - Yeah - It is - It’s a lovely idea - Good in principle. It doesn’t work because they expect everyone to give up their

time and do it and there’s nobody at the top who’s willing to invest. There’s no money for them. It’s just people volunteering and I think it’d be lovely if everyone did get together

Learners, swimming pool campaign focus group The LfCI project was undertaken within this political and economic context of cuts in public and voluntary sector expenditure and services. Learners who took action to try to improve or save local services had variable levels of success. Some people were still determined to continue taking action on issues that mattered to them, while others felt let down by democratic processes and less likely to take action again. There could be implications for the future of active citizenship in a context of cuts to local services, with perceived or actual limits in the power of local communities to influence these. Evaluation and the Big Society Contributors to an evaluation publication with a Big Society theme pointed to tensions between the need for standard and quantifiable measurement to enable comparisons between Big Society activities, and the importance of communities representing their own realities and taking responsibility for the outcomes, that is between top down and bottom up approaches to evaluation. Beckett said

Mirroring the aims of the Big Society itself, perhaps evaluation needs to change. In particular, more emphasis will be needed on: � becoming more nimble and locally focussed � ensuring outputs are transparent and easy to read and understand by a lay audience � ensuring recommendations highlight the local and transferable lessons so that different

areas can learn from each other Beckett (2011)

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7. Recommendations Recommendations for development beyond the WEA The WEA to build on local, regional and national voluntary sector partnerships to:- � Enhance dissemination of the LfCI project and other WEA work which has engaged people

from disadvantaged communities in learning for active citizenship � Enhance sustainability of active citizenship learning and development, through local

partnerships which are part of local structures and processes � Share evidence of the process and impact of increasing engagement in active citizenship,

particularly of people from disadvantaged communities � Present evidence at local, regional and national levels to support funding bids and attempt

to influence policy � Review and explore evaluation approaches to enhance comparability and transferability,

including Social Return on Investment (SROI)13 methodology Recommendations for development within the WEA � Integrate the learning from LfCI into regional self-assessment and improvement plans � Develop further the integration of project ‘best practice’ and methodology into the

mainstream programme � Review the process and criteria for bidding for grants and contracts for project work to

ensure costs are fully covered, and prioritise bids which focus more on quality and transferability of outcomes than on quantity of courses and learners

� Review WEA systems and infrastructure, including the WEAMIS management information system to ensure appropriateness for project work (particularly nationally coordinated and cross regional projects) and provision of individual learner data

� Review use of ICT to disseminate LfCI, and other project resources. There is an LfCI resource bank on the WEA intranet but this is under-used. Undertake consultation with regional staff about their experience and needs in accessing teaching and learning resources, and develop an accessible process to meet their needs

� Strengthen national and regional curriculum leadership to develop creative ways to embed citizenship into the mainstream curriculum areas, share experience and resources

� Enhance cross-curriculum active citizenship support, including development of model learning objectives, tutor training, and establishment of cross-regional mentoring so that tutors experienced in learning for active citizenship could mentor other tutors by phone and offer visits to observe local good practice

� Review evaluation approaches to develop community skills and participation in local evaluation research, enhance comparability and transferability across the WEA and with other relevant projects, and develop Social Return on Investment (SROI) approaches to measuring impact

13 http://www.thesroinetwork.org/

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8. References and web links Beckett, A (2011), The Evaluator, Key theme: empowerment, engagement and the big society,

UK Evaluation Society

British Sociological Association (2002), Statement of Ethical Practice for the British Sociological Association Brodie et al, (2011) Pathways through participation: What creates and sustains active citizenship? NCVO/ Institute for Volunteering Research/ Involve http://pathwaysthroughparticipation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Pathways-Through-Participation-final-report_Final_20110913.pdf Bryman, A. (2004) Social Research Methods, Oxford, Oxford University Press Coote, A. (2010) Cutting It: The 'Big Society' and the new austerity, http://www.neweconomics.org/sites/neweconomics.org/files/Cutting_it.pdf Dept of Communities and Local Government (2010), Cohesion Delivery Framework, http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/1501439 Dept of Communities and Local Government (2012), Creating the Conditions for Integration, http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/2092103.pdf Dickinson, S. and Prabhakar, M (2009) An analytical framework for community empowerment evaluations, Department for Communities and Local Government, http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/analyticalframeworkcommunity Miller S and Hatamian A, (2011), Take Part Final evaluation report Community Development Foundation http://www.takepart.org/contentControl/documentControl/13319_TP%20final%20evaluation%20J

une%202011%20FINAL.pdf

NCVO (2012), Clark, Kane, Wilding, and Bass, The UK Civil Society Almanac 2012

http://data.ncvo-vol.org.uk/almanac/about-the-almanac

Robson, C. (2002) Real World Research, Oxford, Blackwell Publishing. The SROI (Social Return on Investment) Network, http://www.thesroinetwork.org/ Turok et al (2006), State of the English Cities: Social Cohesion, Department for Communities

and Local Government

WEA (2010) Getting Involved: Year 1 Report on WEA Learning for Community Involvement Project, http://is.gd/cK06U WEA (2011) Getting Active: Year 2 Report on WEA Learning for Community Involvement Project, http://bit.ly/nrmTSq

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Appendix A: Sample of LfCI activities by region

Activity/Course Region

Round 1

Common Ground/Incredible Edible Eastfield Yorkshire & Humber

International Women’s Day Yorkshire & Humber

Learning Disability Parliament Yorkshire & Humber

Democracy Yorkshire & Humber

Community Resource DVD Yorkshire & Humber

How to Campaign Yorkshire & Humber

Accessing Health Services North West

Local Issues North West

Community Steering Group South West

Interpreting in Child Protection London

Introduction to Immigration, Nationality and Asylum London

Active Citizenship with Union Representatives West Midlands

Human Rights North East

Community Newsletter North East

Women's Mental Health North East

Making IT work for me East Midlands

Communicating an Issue Digitally East Midlands

Community Development East Midlands

Community Voices Conference East Midlands

Local History and ICT West Midlands

Round 2

Voices for Health West Midlands

Community Involvement using ICT East Midlands

Open Door Yorkshire & Humber

Capacity for Citizenship Eastern

Families Get Active Across Yorkshire Yorkshire & Humber

Health & Community Involvement East Midlands

Disseminate Democracy Yorkshire & Humber

How to Campaign using the Internet Yorkshire & Humber

Make Yourself Heard (TU Learning) Yorkshire & Humber

How to Campaign West Midlands

Speak Out on Local Issues West Midlands Round 3

Community Interpreting Forum Yorkshire & Humber

Active Citizenship for Mental Health Yorkshire & Humber

Working together supporting women facing domestic violence Yorkshire & Humber

Me 2 (Get Active) North West

Community Involvement for Health East Midlands and Eastern Regions

Getting Involved Southern

Appendix B

LfCI LEARNING FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

WEA Learning for Community Involvement Project contributing to the ‘Big

Society’ – examples from case studies published in Getting Involved

(Annual report of the first year)

‘We will ... support the creation of neighbourhood groups across the UK, especially in the most deprived neighbourhoods’- Building the Big Society: Cabinet Office May 2010 Evidence:

- Speak out on Local Issues, p7: ‘All learners expressed a desire to become more active members of their local community’

- Incredible Edible Eastfield’, p9: ‘Meetings and visits have encouraged learners to speak out in front of other residents and offer their thoughts on how the area can be improved’

- Community Development for Health, p10: Learners would now consider joining health interest groups, patient participation groups…

‘We will train a new generation of community organisers … across the UK, especially in the most deprived neighbourhoods’ Building the Big Society: Cabinet Office May 2010 Evidence:

- Speak out on Local Issues, p7: ‘Some plan to become volunteers with the Children’s Centre, and some want to become school governors’

- Community Development for Health, p10: Some would now consider volunteering as a committee member of LINk

- Women’s Mental Health Matters, p10: participants spoke at local forums and community groups

‘We will introduce new powers to help communities save local facilities’ - Building the Big Society: Cabinet Office May 2010 Evidence:

- How to Campaign, p12: Meetings and visits have encouraged learners to…offer their thoughts on how their area can be improved’

- Who Decides?, p13: They want to highlight the local importance of the Centre, the need for repair funds…..and the struggle the local parish council had in acquiring the building, saving it from demolition’

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‘Only when people are given more power ... can we achieve fairness and opportunity for all’ - Building the Big Society: Cabinet Office May 2010 Evidence:

- Speak out on Local Issues, p7: They also established a local ‘health agenda’ and discussion around how to influence local services

- International Women’s Day Event, p7: Helped them challenge some of the received notions and prejudices around asylum and migration

- Incredible Edible Eastfield’, p9: Learners are now more able to identify the decision makers within the area and work with them

- Who Decides?, p13: Learners will be making a presentation of these findings to the Parish and Town Council

‘We want to give citizens, communities and local government the power ... they need to come together’ - Building the Big Society: Cabinet Office May 2010 Evidence:

- Introduction to Immigration, Nationality and Asylum, p6: …’feeling enabled to support and subsequently empower members of their own communities…’

- International Women’s Day Event, p7: I now use my twitter account more actively and have contacted my local MP…’

- Incredible Edible Eastfield’, p9: ‘Local people have influenced local decision making…’

- Women’s Mental Health Matters, p10: They are attending mental health user forums feeding information to the local NHS

Source of evidence: Getting Involved: A report on WEA Learning for Community Involvement Project (May 2010). A web based version of the report can be accessed by following the link: http://is.gd/cK06U The Learning for Community Involvement Project is funded by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) via the Empowerment Fund