www.wea.org.uk

The Workers’ Educational Association in 2009

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

Welcome to the WEA It is with great pleasure that I present this report

to you. It is my first as President and I am glad to be able to introduce a document which shows the WEA in such good shape and providing so much of value to society. I hope the document will give you an impression of the huge range of partner organisations we work with all over England and Scotland, and the impact education we provide has on learners across the country.

We have continued to build on the WEA’s achievements in recent years, as shown

by successful inspections, our healthier financial position and our developing

strategic sense. We are becoming more active in campaigning for the values we

believe in. Most importantly, we continue to provide education that matters, as the

selection of case studies on pages two to seven help to show.

We can look back to one of the best WEA conferences for years in 2007, where

we reaffirmed our belief that what we do provides value to civil society, and forward

to the 2009 conference in Glasgow which we hope will be just as successful.

This is all down to the hard work of everybody in the WEA – volunteers and staff.

Thank you. This commitment to the Association is based on active support for

its values: a belief in the improving, even transformative nature of education; the

joining together in fellowship (as RH Tawney described it) in awareness that we

are part of a social movement dedicated to changing and improving people’s lives

through education.

Colin Barnes, WEA President

WEA TrusteesProfessor Richard Taylor – Chair

Colin Barnes – President

Chris Morton – Deputy President

Lynne Smith – Deputy President

Peter Cooper – Honorary Treasurer

David Freeman

Anne King

Charlie Lynch

Ruth Tanner

Gordon Vowles

Foizul Islam

Rosemary Mayes

WEA PatronsStephen Twigg

Baroness Shephard of Northwold

The Workers’ Educational Association is a charity registered in England and Wales

(number 1112775) and in Scotland (number SC039239) and a company limited

by guarantee registered in England and Wales (number 2806910). © WEA, 2009

ContentsCase studies: 2-7

Conference 2007: 8

Membership: 9

Influencing and Campaigning: 10-11

Educational statistics: 12-13

Financial statistics: 14

Branches: 15-16

Funders, partners and affiliates: 17-19

The year ahead: 20

www.wea.org.uk

1

The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is the largest voluntary sector provider of adult education in Britain and provides learning

opportunities for over 80,000 people each year. It operates in all nine English Regions and in Scotland and employs over three thousand part-time tutors. In the academic year 2007/08 we provided more than 12,000 education courses in over 1,500 venues across England and Scotland.

We create and deliver courses in response to local need, often in partnership with

community groups, local charities and other organisations. We believe that education

is life-long and should continue beyond school, college and university in order to help

people develop their full human potential in society.

The Government supports the WEA through funding from the Learning and Skills Council

in England, and in Scotland from the Scottish Executive and Local Authorities. Funds are

also raised nationally and regionally from a variety of other sources including the European

Union and the Big Lottery Fund – as well as from the fees charged to students on many

courses and from charitable donations and bequests from members and benefactors.Many WEA students, members and staff were amongst the lobbyists who assembled

at the House of Commons to lobby Parliament on the importance of adult learning in

February 2009 (see page 10). Photo: Jane Atkins, UCU“Adult education is vital to communities, some of the courses do not have

a qualification but it does give people the confidence to go on to college. I

myself started on one of the WEA courses and now I HAVE a job, and I give

thanks to the tutor for making me realise I can get back out there and make

a difference. I am a learning champion now and it’s such a great job, my

role is to help people go on the courses, and give them the same chance I

got so Thank you Adult Education.”

Comment submitted to the WEA’s website about the government consultation on Informal Adult Learning in 2008

“For me it was life changing. My lack of drive and focus had turned

around completely and now I feel so positive about my life. Instead of

accepting my fate of being a robotic single parent. I have an amazing

amount of ambition and determination to succeed. Instead of wishing

I had a better life, I am making a better life for myself.”

A learner from a WEA Scotland Making the Most of your Children course

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

2

A second chance to learn This group from the WEA’s Slough Learner

project is pictured receiving their Trinity certificates from local MP Fiona Mactaggart. The project helps learners progress from beginner level to level three of the Trinity English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) tests, which are a requirement for British citizenship. Slough Borough Council also funds family learning classes run through the project.

From small beginnings in 2003, the project has spread

to centres all over Slough and has enriched the lives and

knowledge of hundreds of women who have come to the

town from many different countries.

The main objective is to learn English by speaking,

listening, reading and writing. According to outreach worker

Sahira Tariq, who has been with the project since it started

in 2002, learners achieve much more besides. “They get

learning, enjoyment, friendship and happiness from the

courses”, says Sahira. “When we first started, we had to go to people’s homes to

persuade them to join a course, but now we are noticing new learners coming to us.”

Dedicated tutors, many of them from careers other than education, often become

friends and mentors of their students. Bernadette, who was a midwife, nurse and

marketing manager before becoming a tutor, says, “Some of these women have

never spoken to anyone outside their own group before, so having conversations with

different people and learning about their foods, clothes, and cultures is fantastic for

them.” Another tutor, Grania Wright, who previously worked in computing, adds,

“I love it, it has overwhelmed my whole life. It is very rewarding.”

Some of the students learning English at Slough and Eton Community Centre

conducted research on Chalvey High Street, which included taking photos and

interviewing shop owners. One of the learners wrote, “When I compare Chalvey with

my country, I feel that it’s like home. The traffic system is better than in my country

because the traffic is controlled by traffic lights, speed limits and road signs. I feel

safer in Chalvey than in my own country.”

During the year 150 women from eighteen countries – including Bangladesh, Somalia,

Iraq, Afghanistan, Albania and Lebanon – have attended classes in Chalvey, Manor

Park, Britwell, Claycotts and other local centres.

www.wea.org.uk

3

The WEA has recently completed its Active Citizenship project, a community based political education and training programme

across South Yorkshire. The project equipped people with the skills, knowledge and experience to address the ‘democratic deficit’ and become effective citizens and community leaders.

Learners reported increased confidence and self-esteem, and became more

informed voters, with a knowledge of political structures and the forces that

influence change. Agreed targets were exceeded by reaching 635 eligible

learners, a significant number for an innovative community education project.

A wide range of courses were run, in thirty different subjects, from digital media

and community newsletter groups to ‘Food, Fashion, Famine and Fear’ and

‘Politics and Public Life’. Over half the students were aged under forty, a high

proportion compared to adult education generally and the WEA as a whole. The

courses attracted people from numerous backgrounds. On one course white

working class students, some of whom did not vote, met refugees who were not

allowed to vote – leading to a lively discussion. The project demonstrated that

practical political education – learning to be an active citizen – is not only needed,

but that there is a real desire for it.

A research report on the outcomes of the project is available at

http://tinyurl.com/weaacfl08. It says that the project “demonstrated real success

in working to deliver practical political education and training to communities in

ways that relate to people… [the courses were] innovative and exciting and of

consistently high quality. Participants were unanimous in saying that this was

the case.” It described the WEA’s project team as “dedicated and experienced”,

adding that “their enthusiasm and commitment has made this project such a

success”.

The Active Citizenship project was funded by the Academy for Community

Leadership. The funding allowed courses to start with a smaller number of

learners than would normally be required with the WEA’s mainstream funding – all

involved in the project agreed that this was an important element in ensuring that

courses were able to meet the needs of the community.

We ran over 1,750 courses last year in our ‘Second Chance to Learn’ strand

Students on a ‘Politics

and Public Life’ course

run through the project

produced this booklet,

which is available at

http://tinyurl.com/weaact –

see also page 10

“Everyone needs to know how to bring about

changes and you can only do that when you

know how it all works and you feel you can

do something. That is why this course is so

important.”

Participant in politics and public life course

“When I became a widow and was out on my

own with MS I never went out. This course

has changed my life. I have learnt to use IT

and the whole group emails each other to

communicate. Now I can do my shopping

online, talk to all my friends, meet with people

online. We are putting a newsletter together as

a group and getting that into the community so

they know about us. I can’t believe I have these

skills now.”

Participant in MS Community Newsletter group

“This programme has reached out to new communities and has not fallen into

the trap of working solely with those with prior interest and knowledge. It is

important from a civil society perspective… because of the impact it can have

in integrating communities and in reviving our moribund democratic system.”

Quote from a partner organisation

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

4

Developing communities The WEA and North Somerset Education and Training Consortium

(NSETC) work closely together to provide access to employment, volunteering, education, leisure, health and more satisfying lifestyles for Consortium clients recovering from mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse. This has increased their confidence and self-esteem and helped to remove barriers to inclusion in education, such as memories of previous bad experiences at school.

As well as the benefits to individual learners, there have been benefits for the local

community, to health services and the local economy. Offering opportunities for

people to improve their lifestyles and increase their choices, through employment,

voluntary work, leisure and other meaningful occupations has a positive impact on

the area in general. Through training and support, students become more socially

interactive and better prepared to cope with the pressures of finding paid or voluntary

work. Records show that as a result of the programme many clients and students

have been discharged from the healthcare service, moved to independent living or

have ceased or reduced their smoking, drinking and drug taking habits in exchange

for healthier pursuits.

The Carlton Centre, where most of the WEA

courses take place, is based in the centre of

Weston-super-Mare and was identified as an ideal

venue when NSETC was formed in 1995. The centre’s

resources are designed to enhance access to safe

learning and personal development services. Central

to the development of the Consortium itself is the

WEA’s ethos of learner-focused education, which

enables the provision of training programmes that

integrate advice, support, education and essential

life skills, in turn this leads to social inclusion and

contributes to economic recovery.

“I thought the tutor was exceptional.

Her methods and organisational skills

were brilliant. The Carlton Centre has

helped me keep out of trouble and keep

my life more on track.”

‘Confidence’ student

“I am really happy that I got into this course.

It has helped me in many different ways. It has

given me confidence to talk with other people and

to work with others. The tutor is really helpful and

easy to talk to and answers any questions that I

need to know.” Creative Writing student

Woodwork

is just one of

the activities

undertaken by

students at the

Carlton Centre

to improve

their practical

skills and help

them prepare

for possible

community-

based

employment.

www.wea.org.uk

5

WEA Scotland Top of the Class

WEA Scotland received an outstanding inspection report from HM Inspectorate of Education in

November 2007. Ratings received in all nine categories were ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very good’.

The report said WEA Scotland’s work showed “what a positive difference sustained educational investment, underpinned by a strong and purposeful ethos, can make to the lives of disadvantaged individuals and communities... WEA Scotland was developing and delivering work that no other organisation was providing and was a sector leader in terms of its practice and range of partnerships”.

The impact on adults; partnership working; involvement of members, and the impact on paid and voluntary staff were all found to be Excellent, while the impact on local communities; inclusion, equality and fairness; operational planning; financial management, and leadership were graded Very Good. The Inspectorate chose five WEA Scotland case studies to be shared as examples of good practice with other education providers in Scotland.

Successful inspection in England

An Ofsted inspection of the WEA, published in May 2008, confirmed that the WEA is a good provider of adult

education in England.

The report described the overall effectiveness of WEA provision as good and found provision in the subject area of Health, Public Services and Care outstanding. Also graded good were achievement and standards; the effectiveness of teaching and learning; the extent to which programmes and activities meet the needs and interests of learners, and the role of leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners.

Full inspection report: http://tinyurl.com/WEAIR08

“Before I started learning with the WEA I had tried different courses with other

organisations and never thought I’d really achieved anything... I’m now living in

my own flat which is very nice and I’m still taking part in WEA courses and will

continue to because I’m enjoying that my life is progressing for the first time.”

These quotes are all from learners from Endurance UK, a community

organisation for people recovering from alcohol and substance abuse based in Chester. The WEA provides courses including hill walking, survival skills, self-defence, team building and courses working on both video and written diaries.

A key element is encouraging more experienced learners to mentor others. Eight learners have completed a WEA PTTLLS course to help them be better mentors and potentially future tutors.

Most courses are run at the Hoole Community Centre, Chester, but learners have been recruited from across West Cheshire, North Wales, the Wirral and Liverpool.

“The group work, discussions

and classes we have, help my

confidence and self-esteem

building by interacting with

others and expressing myself...

I didn’t fancy going to college

but this has been like a stepping

stone... It has provided an

opening for me to make a start

again after experiencing many

problems in my life which I didn’t

handle very well.”

We ran over 4,750 courses last year in our ‘Community Involvement’ strand

“At the beginning I was just happy to have something to do, somewhere to

go and I enjoy meeting people. From this simple need to belong to something

worthwhile I have grown in so many areas... As a matter of fact I am in such a

better state in all areas of my life – I do voluntary work – I see a future where

before I did not – I want to do more – with the help of WEA I hope to ultimately

gain full employment and become a productive member of society.”

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

6

Volunteers, branches and cultural studiesAcross the WEA there are thousands of volunteers involved in a wide variety of activities

connected with running WEA courses.

The role of volunteers is particularly strong in the part of our educational provision called ‘Cultural Studies’. Typically,

volunteers come together as groups called WEA Branches (there are over 450 branches in England), and, working

with WEA tutors and staff, devise a range of interesting part-time courses that will appeal to local people. Our

Cultural Studies programme makes up over a third of the WEA’s educational provision and offers a great diversity of

subjects and courses to choose from.

The WEA refers to its volunteer base as a voluntary ‘movement’, and with good

reason, since our volunteers and Branch members believe passionately in the

value of adult education and are giving generous amounts of time and energy

to ensure that the WEA flourishes in their local area.

In the county of Essex, for example, forty-seven volunteer-led branches are

brought together in the form of the WEA Essex Federation. The Federation

plays an important role in supporting and representing the interests of WEA

students and branches across the county, and, like a branch, it also plans and

organises its own courses including a successful programme of day schools.

Ron Marks (pictured left), a committed WEA volunteer, is chairman of the Federation. In his role as Chairman, Ron helps to oversee the

activities of the Federation including its committee which meets six times a year. He says the role of the Federation is to listen to local

Branches, helping out with any concerns, representing their interests to the broader WEA and, in particular, helping local Branches

promote their courses effectively.

Ron works with the Federation’s voluntary Secretary Jane Dougan and other committee members to ensure that the WEA is visible in the

local community so that all can benefit from the courses on offer. As part of their strategy to raise the profile of the WEA in Essex, the

volunteer team have tackled technology head-on and created a successful Federation website which acts as an introduction to the WEA

and brings together all the WEA courses and activities across the county.

Thanks to volunteers like Ron and Jane, and many others, we are able to maintain a rich offering of part-time courses across the country,

and through their efforts, preserve much that is dear to the WEA.

We actively recruit volunteers to help with local, regional and national activities. Further information is available from any of the WEA

offices listed on the back cover or by email from: volunteer@wea.org.uk

www.wea.org.uk

7

A recent play based on the true story of a group of miners in the 1930s who attended a WEA art course and became internationally renowned artists in their own right has

brought the importance and value of learning, and the efforts that made this possible, to the forefront of cultural discourse.

The Pitmen Painters, by Lee Hall, won Best Play at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for 2008, and has

featured in two sell-out runs at the National Theatre following its original run at the Live Theatre, Newcastle.

It will be on a national tour during 2009 and will also be staged in the Volkstheater, Vienna.

A group of WEA students (pictured) from former mining communities in South Yorkshire saw the play and

got the chance to meet Lee Hall (third from left). The students, who live in Thurnscoe and Goldthorpe, all

attend a WEA art course. Their lives have been influenced by the mining industry and they found they had

a strong emotional connection to the play, which they greatly enjoyed. They were also able to see original

paintings by Oliver Kilbourn and his fellow pitmen painters at an exhibition which accompanied the play.

Lee Hall, who is also known for his play Billy Elliot, said: “The WEA is vital and unique in providing a place

where people can extend themselves as well as extending the culture at the same time. We are all poorer

for a culture where knowledge, education and creativity are reserved for only those that can afford it. The

right to an education, to access to the arts, to cultivating oneself beyond the immediate requirements for

survival or the most basic diversions from this hard work, were won as a result of enormous struggle.”

A book researched and written by members of WEA Bellingham Branch was launched at the

House of Lords last year, in an event hosted by local Liberal Democrat peer Lord Redesdale.

Telling Tales Out of School

traces the history of elementary

education in the North Tynedale

and Redesdale areas of

Northumberland from 1870 to

1944. The students used oral

history interviewing techniques

and other research skills taught

by tutor Dr Ian Roberts to

research and write the book.

Branch Secretary Marian Young

says, “The research took us two

years, but in that time we came across schools I never even

knew had existed and chatted to many former pupils. I found

the whole thing absolutely fascinating and it was enlightening

to learn what a hard life people had and how much they relied

on their community.”

The branch applied for and was awarded a £4,000 Awards

For All grant from the Big Lottery Fund to enable the book to

be published. Fresh from their success in researching schools,

branch members are now working on the history of rural shops

in the area from 1850 to 1950.

We ran over 3,750 courses last year in our ‘Cultural Studies’ strand

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

WEA Conference 2007

8

Every two years the WEA holds its Conference, where branch and regional representatives vote on key national

decisions and elect the WEA’s national Officers. Conference plays a key role in the WEA’s democratic structure – with all branches and regions having the opportunity to propose and vote motions for potential implementation.

The 2007 WEA Conference was held in Coventry and included an event

held jointly with the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education

(NIACE) on the public value of adult education, featuring a range of

speakers and case studies from the adult learning sector, with the WEA’s

formal business taking place the following day.

The joint event led to a stimulating debate about

the public value of adult learning and gave the

210 participants (drawn not only from the WEA and

NIACE but also from other organisations active in UK adult education)

the chance to visit workshops about twelve case studies, six of which

are WEA work, each describing the value of particular examples of adult

education to individuals, communities and indeed government departments.

Those who were not able to attend Conference can find documents

describing each case study at www.wea.org.uk/conference2007

During the main WEA business, Conference delegates elected the WEA’s new President Colin

Barnes and Deputy President Lynne Smith, voted on fifteen Motions and heard reports of the work done since the last Conference.

Conference decided to commit the WEA to promote the value of

adult education, to encourage the revitalisation of volunteering and

branches and where appropriate to develop other voluntary WEA

structures besides branches, at local level. First steps on the road

to an improved membership scheme were agreed, as were the

development of WEA Enterprises

(a company set up to raise funds

for the WEA); sustainability;

campaigning and promoting the

Association with the public, and

engaging with social enterprise and

global citizenship thinking.

Full conference minutes can

be found at

www.wea.org.uk/conference2007

“Participants at the Conference came from all

aspects of adult learning. As a branch member, I was

surprised by the breadth of adult learning covered.”

WEA delegate who attended the Conference

“The joint event with NIACE demonstrated the

increased respect and importance the WEA

commands within the adult education sector –

it was very encouraging to be leading a

conference with such well known members

of the sector.”

WEA delegate who attended the Conference

www.wea.org.uk

9

Membership After a six month campaign of consultation, development and

recruitment, the WEA launched its new membership scheme in September 2008.

The scheme aims to help us communicate more effectively with supporters, volunteers

and staff and to expand our volunteer base. Well over twenty-three thousand people

have already joined, with more joining every week.

WEA President Colin Barnes explains that: “The new membership scheme improves

our communications with people who enjoy and benefit from our courses, those who

volunteer for the WEA to make those courses happen, and those who simply support

us because they believe in the importance of what we do.” The WEA has a long and

proud tradition of voluntary and democratic practice and the principle of membership

is one of the key elements of this - a point on which most WEA branches agree,

according to a survey carried out in 2007.

Access to a new members’ area on the website, a chance to tell other members about

news and events in their area and a member newsletter are among the benefits that

members receive.

How to join the WEAThe scheme is free to join and anyone who supports the WEA’s aims and values is welcome.

Join in one of the following ways:

• tickingtheboxatenrolmentofaWEAclass

• visitingwww.wea.org.uk

(click membership on the left-hand menu)

• usingaprintedapplicationform-requestonefromyour

local region using the details on the back cover.

WEA Conference 2009Conference 2009 will be held on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd October at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow (pictured).

The Friday of the 2009 Conference will be held jointly with

the Open University on the theme of Skills for Social Justice,

while the WEA’s formal business and voting will be held on

the Saturday.

Anyone interested in attending conference should visit

http://www.wea.org.uk/conference_2009.htm

or contact us using the details on the back cover.

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

produced with the help of course tutor and former

MP for Sheffield Hillsborough, Helen Jackson.

Ann Walker, Yorkshire and Humber Regional

Director, gave an address on behalf of the WEA.

She told listeners that the WEA has figured in

the lives of many of today’s senior public figures,

including Gordon Brown. She stated that the next

generation of ‘WEA cabinet ministers’ could come

from courses such as Politics and Public Life, if

government funding priorities allowed courses of

its kind to continue. Her message about ‘Skills for

Collective Life’ was endorsed by David Blunkett, who spoke warmly in support of the

WEA and agreed that more long-term funding for citizenship education would help

meet the government’s own community engagement aims.

‘The Active Citizen’ is available from the WEA website at:

www.wea.org.uk/pdf/Active%20Citizen%20booklet.pdf

10

Influencing and CampaigningThe WEA is one of the five founders of the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning (CALL). More than 400

CALL supporters lobbied Parliament on the importance of adult education on 25 February 2009.

Members, students and staff from all over the country made up the substantial WEA contingent of lobbyists, helping reinforce the WEA’s

position as a leading provider and campaigner for adult learning.

Lobbyists questioned their local MPs about the loss of 1.4 million adult education places in the UK over recent years and took part in a

question and answer session with John Denham, Secretary of State for the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills. Conservative

Shadow Skills Secretary David Willetts and Liberal Democrat Shadow Skills Secretary Stephen Williams also attended and answered questions on their parties’ policies.

A series of speakers from around the sector made the case for adult education with evidence of how it has changed people’s lives in their locations and organisations, and David

Blunkett read out the foreward to his The Learning Age white paper from 1997. Well over 150 MPs signed a House of Commons Early Day Motion (EDM) in favour of CALL.

The other founders of CALL are: National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), the National Union of Students (NUS), the University and College Union (UCU) and

UNISON. More than one hundred organisations have pledged their support to CALL. www.callcampaign.org.uk

This group of forty WEA politics students travelled from Sheffield

to the Houses of Parliament to offer their views and experiences of being ‘active citizens’ to MPs and government ministers.

The students have all attended courses running

as part of the WEA’s Active Citizenship project,

which is funded by the Northern College Academy

for Community Leadership (see page 3 for more

details). Each of the students is personally involved

in community initiatives and projects, hoping to ‘make a difference’ in their locales.

The day began with a guided tour of Parliament after which the group met ministers

and MPs at an event to launch a new publication, ‘The Active Citizen’. The booklet

is written by students on the WEA’s ‘Politics and Public Life’ course and describes

their experiences of campaigning for change in their local communities. It has been

www.wea.org.uk

11

WEA General Secretary Richard Bolsin contributed a chapter

on Learners’ Perspectives to Not Just the Economy, a book on the public value of adult learning which was published in 2008. The book is published by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) and includes contributions from seventeen professionals in the UK adult education sector.

The book calls for better understanding of the

public value of adult learning. Its contributors

argue that education to create and sustain cultural

value is as important as education for access

to employment and workforce development. NIACE hopes that the book will help

persuade policy-makers that lifelong learning is a prerequisite to social cohesion.

Not Just the Economy is available from NIACE for £12.95, go to www.niace.org.uk

or phone 0116 204 7068/2804 to purchase your copy.

Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, was amongst the speakers at a

WEA event discussing the effect adult learning can have on children’s education and the value this has for society.

The Minister was joined at the evening event

in Leeds by Gugsy Ahmed, Headteacher

of Parkinson Lane School in Halifax, where

parents have benefitted from WEA family

learning classes, and by Tracey Martin, who

has been both a learner and tutor. Journalist

and broadcaster Martin Wainwright and WEA

General Secretary Richard Bolsin made up the

panel.

The WEA has a wealth of experience in

providing education to parents, not least

through its national Helping in Schools

programme of courses. In 2007 the Big Lottery

family learning fund awarded half a million

pounds, the maximum grant available, to the

two-year Family Learning for Social Cohesion

project. It will enable 1,000 parents and

children to learn together in fun activities and courses. In its first year, the project has

been running courses and activities in Scarborough, Barnsley, Slough, Great Yarmouth

and Plymouth. Three further areas will be added in the project’s second year.

The Leeds family learning event followed an earlier evening in 2007 which

celebrated the centenary of WEA work in Sheffield and addressed concerns about

the future of adult and community education. The guest speaker at that event was

David Blunkett MP.

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

The WEA in figures: academic year 2007/08

12

Qualifications: 41% of our enrolments came either from people with no educational

qualifications or with qualifications below Level 2 (5 GCSEs at A*-C or equivalent).

29% of the general population are at similar qualification levels.

Declared ethnic minorities: 16% of learners told us that they belonged to an ethnic

minority (compared to about 9.1% of the general population).

Disability: 26% of learners told us that they had a physical or learning disability

(compared to around 15% to 18% of the general population).

Disadvantaged postcodes: 28% of our enrolments came from people that live

in disadvantaged postcodes as defined by the Government. This is almost double

the representation in the general population (15% of the population live in the

disadvantaged postcodes). One third of WEA learners in the year were fee-remitted

for economic reasons.

Age Profile: The table shows the age profile of all WEA learners in England during the

academic year, and the same figures for the two largest subject areas during the year.

Age range All learnersLearners on crafts,

creative arts & design courses

Learners on English for Speakers of Other

Languages (ESOL) courses

16-18 1% 1% 1%

19-24 5% 3% 16%

25-34 13% 9% 42%

35-44 14% 12% 25%

45-54 13% 12% 11%

55-64 21% 25% 4%

65+ 34% 39% 2%

10. WEA ScotlandCourses: 1,350Enrolments: 14,520

5. North WestCourses: 1,363Enrolments: 15,530

8. West MidlandsCourses: 924Enrolments: 11,044

7. South WestCourses: 909Enrolments: 10,284

6. SouthernCourses: 1,261Enrolments: 14,408

3. LondonCourses: 610Enrolments: 7,652

2. EasternCourses: 1,001Enrolments: 15,019

1. East MidlandsCourses: 1,377Enrolments: 15,874

9. Yorkshire and HumberCourses: 2,638Enrolments: 28,116

4. North EastCourses: 605Enrolments: 7,024

OverallCourses: 12,038Enrolments: 139,241

www.wea.org.uk

Number of Individual % of all Subject area courses run Enrolments WEA provision

Crafts, Creative Arts and Design 2353 28014 20.9%

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) 808 8796 10.9%

History 894 14177 8.9%

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for users 1186 11038 8.4%

Sport, Leisure and Recreation 625 8003 5.9%

Performing Arts 566 7241 5.0%

Health and Social Care 582 6256 4.6%

Other languages, literature and culture (i.e. not of the British Isles) 465 5409 4.3%

Languages, literature and culture of the British Isles 383 5688 4.0%

Trade Union Studies activist programme 233 2762 3.3%

Child Development and Well Being 295 2949 3.2%

Literacy 339 3113 2.7%

Science 215 3141 2.0%

Horticulture and Forestry 107 1337 1.7%

Creative Writing 212 2323 1.6%

Politics 88 1328 1.1%

Numeracy 156 1337 1.1%

Archaeology and Archaeological Sciences 126 1599 1.1%

Nursing and subjects and vocations allied to medicine 163 1552 1.0%

Linguistics 45 527 1.0%

Hospitality and Catering 119 1115 0.9%

Skills for Volunteers 59 573 0.8%

Media and Communication 74 781 0.7%

Preparation for Work 102 794 0.6%

Study Skills 62 596 0.6%

Teaching and Lecturing 60 617 0.6%

Philosophy 59 755 0.6%

Teaching Assistants and Midday Supervisors 11 118 0.5%

Environmental Conservation 42 496 0.5%

OTHER (a further 16 subject areas) 236 2501 1.7%

13

The figures in the above table include all provision in England, but not the provision of WEA Scotland. % of all WEA provision is based on total enrolment hours in each subject area.

Number of Enrolments by subject area

0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

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The WEA in figures: financial year 2007/08Financial Review 2007/08The overall aim of the WEA’s financial strategy is to ensure that resources are used efficiently to contribute to improving levels of reserves, meet learner targets and achieve educational priorities.

In order to achieve these objectives, the maximum levels of resources possible are channelled to the direct benefit of learners and to deliver necessary quality improvement in teaching and learning, while maintaining prudent financial management controls over the WEA’s resources.

In April 2008 the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) advised that the WEA will continue to be in Financial Health Group A due to the all round financial strength demonstrated by its key financial indicators.

Total income for 2007/08 was £31.6 million, an 8.2% increase from the previous year, while total expenditure was £30.0 million, a 3.5% increase.

Contribution of volunteersVolunteers play a crucial part in achieving the objectives of the WEA. More than a thousand volunteers actively support the work of the Association by serving as Trustees, regional or local committee members or running branch activities.

WEA Income, 2007/08 WEA Expenditure, 2007/08

National LSC contract

Fees and other contracts

Other grants

Investment income

Other income

Staff costs (including tutors)

Other direct costs

Facilities, IT and communications

Other costs

67%7%

7%

20%

64%

3%4%

13%

15%

The WEA values the skills, enthusiasm and many hours of time given by these volunteers, who directly support a significant part of WEA’s activities and work.

It is estimated that volunteers provided 74,200 hours of work to the Association free of charge during the financial year 2007/08. No value on this work has been incorporated into the accounts, but if valued at a cost of £20 per hour the total would come to just under £1.5 million.

Staff breakdown for financial year 2007/08The average number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the WEA during the year was:

Tutors: 390 (2006/07: 409)

Other staff: 388 (2006/07: 425)

Further informationThe figures here are taken from the full WEA Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st July 2008, which is available from www.wea.org.uk or from WEA’s registered office. See back page for contact details.

www.wea.org.uk

15

101 Hinckley Road • Abingdon • Activ8 • Aireborough • Alconbury • Aldridge • Alfreton • Alrewas • Altrincham • Amble and Warkworth • Amersham • Andover and District • Ardleigh • Arnold • Ashby and Coalville

• Ashford • Ashover • Attleborough • Aylsham • Banstead and Reigate • Bardney • Barking & Dagenham • Barnes • Barnetby • Barnets • Barrow-On-Humber • Barton-On-Humber • Basingstoke • Bath •

Bawtry • Beaconsfield • Beaminster Group • Beckenham and West Wickham • Beeston • Bellingham • Belper • Benfleet • Berkhamsted • Berwick Upon Tweed • Beverley • Bexhill • Bexley • Biggleswade •

Billingshurst • Binbrook • Bingham • Birstall & Rothley • Bishop’s Stortford • Blofield • Bognor Regis • Boston • Bottisham • Bournemouth and Poole • Bourton On The Water Group • Bow • Box • Bradford •

Bradford On Avon Group • Brantham • Bratton Group • Braunston • Brayton • Bridlington

• Bridport • Brightlingsea • Brighton & Hove • Brigstock • Bristol • Bristol Women’s • Bromley

• Brookmans Park • Buckden • Bude Cornwall • Bungay • Burford Group • Burnham

Market • Burton Joyce • Burton On Trent • Burwell • Bury St. Edmunds • Bushey and

Watford • Buxton • Byfield • Calverton • Cambridge • Cannock Wood • Canterbury • Capel

St Mary • Carlisle • Castle Cary • Castle Donington • Castle Hedingham • Caterham

• Cerne Abbas Group • Chagford • Chalfont St Peter & Gerrards Cross • Chapel-en-le-

Frith • Chard & Ilminster • Charmouth Group • Chatteris • Cheadle Hulme • Chelmsford •

Cheltenham • Chesham • Chester • Chesterfield • Cheveley • Chichester • Chingford

• Chorleywood & Rickmansworth • Cirencester • Clapham • Cley-Next-The-Sea •

Coggeshall • Colchester • Coleford (Somerset) • Colne • Congleton • Corby • Corsham

Group • Corton Denham Group • Costock • Cottenham • Cottingham Student Group

• Crich • Crowborough • Croydon • Danbury & Little Baddow • Darlington • Dearne •

Dedham • Derby • Dereham • Devizes Group • Disley • Diss • Doncaster • Donhead St Mary

Group • Dorchester • Dorking • Dover • Dunnington and Grimston • Dunstable • Dunwich/

Westleton • Durham, Teesdale and Derwentside • Ealing • Easingwold • East Bridgford •

East Coker • East Devon Community • Eastbourne • Eaton • Ely • Enfield & Southgate •

Epsom & Ewell • Esher • Ewyas Harold • Eye • Eynsham • Farthinghoe • Faversham

• Felixstowe • Felsted • Ferndown • Fetcham & Bookham • Fife Local Association •

Finchley • Folkestone • Forest of Dean Group • Frinton-On-Sea • Frodsham • Glasgow Local

Association • Glossop • Gloucester • Godmanchester • Golders Green • Goole • Grantham

• Great Ayton • Great Bardfield • Great Bentley • Great Bradley • Great Dunmow • Great

Gransden • Great Horkesley • Great Missenden, Prestwood and Wendover • Great Oakley

• Grimsby • Guilden Morden • Guildford • Haddenham • Hadleigh • Halesworth • Halifax •

Halstead • Ham • Harleston • Harlow • Harpenden • Harrogate • Harrow • Harwich • Hastings

& St Leonards • Hatfield Peverel • Havant • Haxby and Wigginton • Helmdon • Hemingfords • Henfield • Henley (Berkshire) • Henley (Suffolk) • Hereford • Herne Bay • Hertford • Hethersett • Higham Ferrers •

Hingham • Hinton St George • Hitchin • Hoddesdon • Holbrook • Holland-on-Sea • Honiton • Horley • Hornchurch & Upminster • Hornsea • Hoveton/Wroxham • Hull Student Group • Huntingdon • Husbands

Bosworth • Hyde • Ickleton/Chesterfords • Ilford at Gants Hill & Redbridge • Ilkley • Immingham • Inverness & Area Local Association • Ipswich • Isle Of Wight • Ivinghoe • Keelby • Kelvedon and Feering •

Kenilworth • Kettering • Kidderminster • Kimberley • Kings Langley • King’s Lynn • Knutsford • Lancaster • Langford (Bedfordshire) • Langford (Essex) • Lawford • Ledbury • Leeds • Leek • Leicester •

BranchesVolunteers in WEA branches organise around 5,000 of our courses across the country

each year, in response to the interests of the members of their branch.

As well as publicising and arranging courses, branch members can be elected to

governance roles within the WEA at branch, regional and national levels.

All our branches, groups and Scottish Local Associations are listed on the next two pages -

there are nearly 500 across the country.

To find out more about your local branch, contact your nearest regional office using the

contact details on the back page.

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

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Leigh-on-Sea • Leighton Buzzard • Leven • Lewes • Lincoln • Linton • Liphook • Little Waltham • Loddon • Long Buckby • Long Sutton (Lincolnshire) • Long Sutton (Somerset) • Longton & The Potteries

• Lothian Local Association • Loughborough • Loughton & Epping • Louth • Lowdham • Lymington • Maidenhead • Maldon • Malmesbury / Sherston • Manchester • Mansfield • Maplesteads • March •

Margaret Sanders • Marlow • Masham • Matlock • Medway and Gravesend • Mere • Mersea • Mid Cornwall • Middleton Stoney Group • Middleton Tyas • Middlewich • Midhurst • Mill Hill & Edgware •

Milton Keynes at Bletchley and Stony Stratford • Minchinhampton • Minehead • Morecombelake Group • Morpeth • Mottram • Muswell Hill • Nassington • Neston • Nether Heyford • Nettleton • Newark

• Newcastle & Wolstanton • Newcastle upon Tyne • Nidderdale • North Duffield • North

East Local Associaton • North Highland Local Association • North Richmondshire • North

Thoresby • North Walsham • Northallerton • Northampton • Northwich • Northwood •

Norwich • Nottingham • NUWC • Oldham • Ongar • Orford • Outwood • Oxford •

Painswick Group • Penwith Plus • Petersfield • Petham • Petts Wood & Orpington • Pewsey

• Pickering • Pinner & Hatch End • Plymouth • Polegate • Poppleton • Poringland and

District • Potters Bar • Purbeck • Puttenham & Wanborough • Radcliffe on Trent • Radlett •

Radstock Group • Radwinter and Sampfords • Rayleigh • Rearsby • Riccall • Richmond •

Ringwood • Ripon • Robertsbridge • Rochdale • Rothbury • Rotherham • Rothwell • Roydon

• Royston • Ruislip & Uxbridge • Rutland • Rye • Saddleworth • Saffron Walden • Sale

• Salisbury Group • Sanderstead & Selsdon • Saxlingham Nethergate • Saxmundham

and Peasenhall • Scunthorpe and North Lincolnshire (West) • Seaford Area • Seend •

Sevenoaks • Shaftesbury Group • Shalford • Sharnbrook • Sheffield • Sherborne Group •

Sheringham • Shrivenham Group • Sidcup • Silver End • Sittingbourne • Skipton Student

Group • Sleaford • Slough • Smalley • Snaith • Snape • Sonning Common • South

Elmsall • South Tyneside • Southampton • Southwell • Southwold • Spalding • Spilsby

• St Albans • St Ives (Cambridgeshire) • St Neots • Stamford • Stamford Bridge •

Stanmore & Kenton • Steyning • Stoke-by- Nayland • Stowmarket • Stradbroke • Stroud •

Sunderland/Washington • Surbiton, Kingston and Malden • Sutton & Wallington • Sutton-on-

Sea • Swaffham • Swindon • Tadley • Takeley • Tayside Local Association • Tenterden •

Thaxted • The Pulhams • Thetford • Thirsk • Thornbury • Thornbury Group • Tillingham •

Tiptree • Tisbury Group • Tiverton • Tollesbury • Tonbridge • Towcester • Tunbridge Wells

• Twickenham & Hampton • Upper Calder Valley • Upper Dales at Askrigg • Upton •

Urchfont • VEA - Lottery • Wallingford • Walsall Trade Union • Waltham • Walthamstow •

Walton & Weybridge • Wanstead & Woodford • Wantage and Grove • Ware • Watton •

Wellingborough • Wells-Next-The-Sea • Welwyn Garden City • Wembley-Brent •

Wenhaston • West Bergholt • West Bucks Villages • West of Scotland Local Association • West Oxfordshire • West Stour Group • Weymouth • Whickham • Whitley Bay • Whitstable • Wickford •

Willingham • Wimborne Group • Winchcombe • Winchester • Windsor • Wing • Wingfield • Wingham with Littlebourne and Bridge • Wingrave • Winterbourne Kingston Group • Winterslow • Wirksworth

• Wisbech • Witney • Wivenhoe • Woking • Wokingham and District • Wolverhampton • Woodbridge • Writtle • Wylam & Prudhoe • Wylye Valley Group • Wymondham • Yaxley • Yelvertoft • York •

Activ8 is a community group which seeks to inspire and support

the local community in the Plymouth area to realise their potential.

It was formed after most of its members had completed the Raleigh

International youth development programme, which Raleigh had

been able to offer to 160 ‘excluded’ young people in Plymouth

thanks to funding awarded by the Big Lottery Fund.

The Activ8 project now has thirteen motivated members and is set up

as a Branch of the WEA. The group members are working towards the

ASDAN accredited Certificate in Community Volunteering, while the

group has received nearly £10,000 funding from the Prince's Trust to 'support them

to support others' through funding members to attend training courses (which have

included courses enabling them to become mountain bike leaders, walking group

leaders and football coaches); funding

for training requirements such as health

and safety, outdoor first aid and media

skills; enabling two residential events per

year to develop volunteering skills, plan

and take part in development education

workshops and other group activities, and

providing funds for essential equipment

and expenses to allow the group to meet

and operate.

www.wea.org.uk

17

Organisations we work withAcross England and Scotland the WEA works with around 1000 partner organisations each year, as well as 21 affiliates. In 2007/08 we received funding from at

least 60 different funders, in addition to our largest contract – with the government’s Learning and Skills Council for provision across England.

AffiliatesThank you to our national affiliates:

Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union

Community

Connect

Co-Op Group Ltd

Fircroft College of Adult Education

Fire Brigades Union

General Federation of Trade Unions

GMB

National Union of Journalists

National Union of Teachers

Pre School Learning Alliance

Public and Commercial Services Union

Ruskin College

Trades Union Congress

Transport Salaried Staffs Ass.

Union of Communication Workers

UNISON

Unite

Unity

Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers

Working Men’s Club & Institute Union

FundersAs well as a £19 million pound contract with the Learning and Skills council for much of its provision across England, the WEA also received the following restricted funding in 2007/08:

European funding (European Social Fund and Single Regeneration Budget)Total funding of £1.5 million was received in the year 2007/08 for 28 restricted fund projects around the country. These are listed in the Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements for the year, available from our website or by post on request.

Other fundersThe restricted funding below from other funders (i.e. not from EU sources), most of which is for specific projects named here, amounted to a total of £2.7 million restricted funding across the country in the year.

East Midlands Region JoanFreemanLegacy•HazelArnoldLegacy•AlgyBeavenLegacy•UKOnlineMansfield•UKOnlineLeicester•UKOnlineNottingham Arts Council – Clowning

Eastern RegionNIACE Connect

London RegionALGE-Learning•LSC/LDATransitionalFund•LSC/LDATransitional Fund Capacity Building

North East RegionNIACE•NLDCCitySunderlandLearningforHealth•NLDCCitySunderlandDevelopingVolunteers•LSCIsitforMe•OIACo-OperativeWithoutBoundaries•NorthEastRegDonations

North West RegionGrowIt/EatIt•KnowsleyNLDC•Developing&usingS4LAssessment•RochdaleCommunityITTechnicians•CultureofArts

Southern RegionReadingWLC•SouthamptonCC–WritingCourses•SouthamptonCC–ChildrensFund/HelloToo•JMFOmegaCentre•Jeffery-MachinFoundation•Sloughfunding

South West RegionAndrea McIver

West Midlands RegionHomeOffice(ConnectingCommunities)•LloydsTSBFoundation•DFID–Birmingham•HomeOffice(RefugeeCommunities)•DfCLG–Qualitypart-timework•DFID–OutofAfrica•Dept.forHealth(CommunitiesforHealth)•UKOnline•NIACEE-shift•StokeLAA–LearningintheCommunity•StokeLAA–CommunityGym•CEL–CurriculumforChange•Equality&HumanRightsCommission•StokePCT–CommunityGym•Arts Council – Telford’s Industrial Heritage

Yorkshire & Humber RegionNLDCScunthorpe•Information&LearningTechnologies•KirkleesACL•KirkleesFamilyLearning•LSCNLDC–Rotherham•ArtCouncil–Create07•LSCNLDC– North Yorkshire

WEA ScotlandThere are so many different funders and projects in Scotland, which does not receive money from the national LSC contract which provides most of the WEA’s funding in England, that we did not have space to list them here – but the full details can be found in the Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements for the year, available from our website or by post on request.

NationalLSCCapacityBuilding•LSCInitialTeacherTrainingJeffery-Machin Foundation

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

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East Midlands Region: ACNA Centre • Anchor Centre • Arboretum School • Arts Council • Ashfield Women’s Centre • Babworth Court Community Centre • BANCA • Belgrave Library • Bestwood Park Community Centre • Calver Street Centre • Circle Arts Centre • CORE Centre • Derby City Council • E2e • Eastgate Centre • First Steps, Osmaston and Allenton • Friary Services (including Whitewater) • Grantham Learning Disability Services • Greenacre Day Centre • Greenway Centre • Hardwick Primary School • Hyson Green Library • IMAGO • Kettering

Centre for the Unemployed • Leicester City Adult and Community Services • Lincolnshire County Council • Meden Vale Methodist Church • Mosaic • Netherfield COG • New England Way Community Centre • Newark Mind • Newlink Project Ltd • Nottingham City Council • Nottingham City Libraries • Notts County Council • Peoples Centre • Pleasley Springs Centre • Polish Centre • Retford Action Centre • Rokerfield Day Support Centre • Skegby Methodist Church • South Leicestershire Day Services • Stacey Road Community Centre • Stamford &

Bourne Disability Services • Stamford Children’s Centre • Startafresh • Summit Centre • Surestart Ravensdale • Surestart Rosehill • Sycamore • Thoresby Miners Welfare • Tin Hat Centre • VISTA • Walbrook Nursery School • Warsop Town Hall • Eastern Region: Age Concern/Welwyn Hatfield Council • Barford Avenue Centre • Bargroves Day Centre • Basildon Women’s Aid • Beaupre School • Bedford Centre • Bedford MIND • Bedfordshire Library • Befrienders (Flitwick- Steppingley) • Bishops Bridge House • Braintree Women’s Aid • BREAK •

Brentwood Foyer • Brickhill Lower School • Cambridge City Council • Castle Lower School • Castle Point Association of Voluntary Services • CATS • Centre 81 • Chelmsford Chess Day Centre • Cheshunt Extended Schools Consortium • Churchgate Extended Schools Consortium • Colbayns Community Centre • Colchester and Tendring Women’s Refuge • Community Learning Mentors • CVS Dacorum • Dacorum Mencap • Dame Alice Court • Decoram Talking Newspapers • Denis Wilson Court • Elizabeth Saunders Surestart • First Stop Centre • Fleetville

Junior School • Garden City Day Centre • Granta School • Great Yarmouth Community Trust • Guide Post Trust • Guideposts Trust • HAFLS • Harlow Women’s Network • Harry Scott Court • Harwich Community Primary School • Headway (Kesgrave) • Headway Bedford • Headway Cambridge • Headway Essex (Colchester) • Headway Ipswich • Headway North Herts and Stevenage • Healthy Living Project • Herts Mind Network • Hester Adrian Centre • Highfield Scool • Histon Community Mental Health Team • Home Farm Trust • Homestart, Colchester •

Interact Basildon • Interact, Bridges to Education • Interact, Bridges to Education (Rayleigh) • Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust • Laburnham Lower School • Letchworth Extended Schools Consortium • Leventhorpe School • Lisbon Court • Maldon Carers • Mayfield Heath Farm • Melbourne Park Primary School • MENCAP (Chelmsford) • MENCAP (Learning for Work) • MENCAP (Sustian Work Plus) Learning for Work • Mind (Bedford) • Mind (Biggleswade) • Mind (FLITWICK) • Mind (Leighton Buzzard) • Mind (St Albans) • Mind (Ware) • Mind Resource Centre • Mind, Basildon • Mind, Thurrock • Mosaic Housing • Mossbury School • NANSA • NCH Action for Children • Next Steps Cambridge • Nine Lives Furniture • Norfolk & Norwich Hospital • Norfolk and Waveney MIND • Norfolk PCT/CPNS • Norfolk Primary Care • Northfields Infant &

Nursery School • Norwich City Council • Norwich MIND • NPC Trust • Oak Farm Rehabilition Unit • OMNIA • Open University • Parent Support Advisor – Cambridge Schools • Piece of Mind (Downham Market) • Positive People • Prince’s Trust • Priory Centre • Quantock Court • Richmond Fellowship • Ridgeview Lodge • Right Tracks • Robert Hall Centre • Russell Lower School • Sacred Heart Primary School • SEETEC (Bedford) • SEETEC (Hockley) • SEETEC (Ipswich) • Sele School • Shefford Lower School • Social Services • Southminster Primary

School • Spring Meadow Primary School • St Albans Extended Schools Consortium • St Andrew’s Infant School • St Andrews Lower School • St Barnards Learning Centre • St Bernadette’s Primary School • St Edmunds Society • St Edmund’s Society • St Edmundsbury Council • St Elizabeth’s Centre • St John Rigby Lower School • St Margaret of Scotland Primary School • St Matthews Housing (Saffron Walden) • Stalham Staithe Surgery • Standards & Improvements • Stort Valley Housing Assoc • Strathmore Infant & Nursery School • Suffolk County

Council, Social Services • Surestart • Surestart (Clacton-on-Sea) • Surestart, Clacton and Jaywick • Surestart, Gt Yarmouth • SWANS (Maldon) • Tenison Road Centre • The Evangelical Church • The Farthing Centre • The Guildhouse • The Hat Factory • The HIlls Lower School • The Tabor Centre • Thurrock MIND • UNISON • Unite • University of London • Vauxhall Centre • Walpole Highway Community Centre • Watford Workshop, Century Retail Park • Welwyn Garden City Extended Schools Consortium • West Norfolk MIND • William Day Centre • YMCA – Watford • London Region: Afghan Association Paiwand • Age Concern Southwark • All Souls Clubhouse • Army • Ashmount Primary School • BFAWU • Bounds Green School • Brecknock Primary School • Bromley By Bow Centre • Cambridge House • Camden Adult Learning Service • Camden Libraries • CEA at Islington • Citizens Advice Bureau • Construction Related Skills (CRS) • Coram Parents’ Centre • CWU Communication Workers Union • Garfield Primary School • Gillespie Primary School • Gladesmore Community School • GMB • Goldsmith’s College • Grange First School • Hackney city Farm • Harlesden Library • Haverstock School • Health First • Highbury Quadrant Primary School • Holly Lodge Community Centre • Hope in Harrow • Hounslow Town Primary School • Islington Adult & Community Learning • Kalayaan • Lambeth Interpreting Service • Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust • Lister Community School • London Borough of Camden • London Borough of Lambeth – Ethnic Minority • London Borough of Tower Hamlets • Longfield First and Middle School • Manor Gardens Advocacy Project •

Marlborough First & Middle School • Medirest (Hammersmith Hospital) • Newport School • Noel Park School • Northumberland Park Community School • NUT • Oakthorpe Primary • Park Lane Children’s Centre • Pembury House Children’s Centre • Pinner Wood School (Pinner Cluster) • Plaistow Christian Church • Queens Crescent Library • Queens Park Rangers FC • Refugees Into Jobs • Robin Redmond Centre • Rowland Hill Children’s Centre • Roxeth Middle School • Selwyn School • Shapla Primary School • Solace Womens Aid • South Grove Primary School • Southwark Community Care Forum • St Johns C O E Primary School • St Paul’s Whitechapel Primary School • Stewart Headlam Primary School • Swiss Cottage Community Centre • Swiss Cottage Library • Ten Feet Away • Tesco • The Parent House • The

Winchester Project • Third Age Project • Thomas Buxton Junior School • Triangle Children Young People & Community Centre • TUC • Union Chapel Arts Project • UNISON Education • University College London/Unite (Amicus Section) • West Green Learning Centre, Parkview Academy • West Middlesex University Hospital • Westmead Elderly Resource Centre • Wilsmere House Care Centre • Woodlands Park Childrens Centre • Woodside School • North East Region: Action Station • Age Concern • Apnar Ghar Ethnic Minority Womens’ Centre •

Brandon and Deerness Surestart • Co Durham Community Placement Officers • County Durham Community Placement • Harton Churches • Sunderland Social Services • Surestart • Surestart – Chester le Street • UNISON Northern Region • North West Region: Adab Centre • Age Concern Rochdale • All Saints Parish Rooms • Ashfield Valley Primary School • Bacup Family Centre • Bakers Union • Barnados (Surestart )(Maryport) • Basement project • Blackburn & District Women’s Centre • Bolton Central Library • Bootle Day Centre • Brampton Community Centre • Brimrod School • Broadfield School • Bromley Cross Group • Burnley Access Point • Burnley Youth & Community Service • CAB • Care Resources • Carlisle C. Council • Carr Gomm Society • CDI • Cheshire County Council • Cleator Moor Nursery • Copeland Social &

Occupational Centre (COSC) • Cromwell House Mental Health Centre • Croxteth Communiversity • Denton Methodist Church • Elizabeth Prout Centre • Endurance • E-Tameside • Fairfield High School • Fatima Women’s Association • First Asian Support Trust • First Step • Gateway Centre • Gorton Drop In Centre • Grasslots Infants School • Hamer CP School • Hawthorns Junior School • Heathbank Centre • Helena Housing • Highway To Opportunities • Horton Mill • Indian Community Centre • Irish Community Care • Kensington Community Learning Centre • Kensington Fields Community Centre • Kingsway School • Kirkby Unemployed Centre • Learning Disability Resource Centre • Lime Tree Primary School • Manchester Chinese Centre • Manchester Metropolitan University • Mereside Community Centre • Mulberry Centre • Neesa

Women’s Project • Neurocare Centre Basic • Newton Family and Community Centre • NHS Academy North West • NHS Day Services (Mental Health) • NHS Professionals • Oakfield Day Centre • Orchard House Day Hospital • Orrell Park & District Community Centre • Pagoda Community Centre • Pakistan Community Centre • Pankhurst Centre • Partnership Education Blackburn • Partnership Education Rochdale • Rochdale Partnership • Ronald Gorton Centre • Rotunda Community College • Sale West Community Centre • Salford Primary Care Trust • Sefton Social Services • Social Partnership • Spotland C P School • SRB Rochdale • St Georges Resource Centre • St Giles Resource Centre • St John’s Centre • St. Josephs High School & Sports College • Streetlife • SWAN Women’s Centre • T.U.C. Regional Education Office •

Tameside Libraries • The Angel Healthy Living Group • The Beacon Children’s Centre • The Link Centre • The Minto Centre • The People’s Centre • The University Of Liverpool • The Women’s Centre Blackburn • The Womens Centre for Blackburn & District • The Women’s Centre in Lancashire • Trees Community Centre • Union Chapel Fallowfield • United Response • University of Keele • Untitled (38000038) • Urban Care Centre • USDAW • Venture Arts • Victoria Park Day Centre • VOLA • Wardleworth Womens Welfare Association • Wardleworth Woments

Welfare Association • Warrington Borough Council • Warrington Day Centre • Werneth Park Study Centre • Werneth Youth Project • Wernith and Free Hold Community Project • Windle Pilkington Centre • Wirral Children’s Centres • Wirral Healthy Communities • Workington Children’s Centre (NCH) • South West Region: Activ 8 • Brandon Trust • Care Wiltshire • Citizen Advice Bureau • Community Union • Cornwall Social Services • In Reach • Longreach Drug Rehab Centre • Mount Wise Family Centre • North Somerset Consortium • North Somerset

Council • Spectrum Day Services • Swindon Carers’ Centre • Wiltshire County Council • Windmill Hill City Farm • Southern Region: Action in Rural Sussex • Chapel Park Community Centre • Learning United Partnership • Milan Women’s Group • Newhaven Family Centre • Oxfordshire Adult Learning • RBWM • Strode Park Foundation • Sussed Interpreting Services • Wednesday Women’s Group • West Midlands Region: Active Retirement • Age Concern (Dudley) • ASRA Smethwick • Brett Young Centre • CEDD (DMBC) • Dudlay Age Concern •

Dudley Asian Womens Centre • Dudley Befriending Service • Dudley MS Society • Dudley Muslim Association • Guru Nanak Singh Sabha • Halesowen Asian Elders’ Association • Herefordshire Headway • Hope Centre, Bromyard • Kushee Group • LEAP Education (Herefordshire MIND) • Lye Community Project • New Testament Welfare Assn • Qyeens Cross Mosque • Raymond Williams Memorial Fund and Wedgwood M C • Shree Krishna Temple • Staffordshire ACC • Staffordshire ACL • Start – up • Yorkshire and Humber Region: Active Citizenship

Project • Barnsley Learning Network • Broomhall Community Centre • DfES HIS • Foresight • Hull Womens’ Centre • Leeds City Council • Mind • Mind (Harrogate) • Mind (Hull & East Yorkshire) • Next Steps • NHS • NYCC (North Yorkshire County Council) • Other (partner) • PCS • Rotherham MBC • SAVTE • Surestart • York Council • WEA Scotland: Aberdeen Adult Education Network • Aberdeen Art Gallery • Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce • Aberdeen City Community Health Partnership • Aberdeen City Council • Aberdeen City Council Community Learning & Development • Aberdeen City Council Community Learning Mental Health Team • Aberdeen City Council Community Placement Team • Aberdeen City Council Community Training Unit • Aberdeen City Council Criminal Justice Team • Aberdeen City Council Family Learning • Aberdeen City Council Home Support • Aberdeen City Council Outdoor Education Service • Aberdeen City Council Social Work Department • Aberdeen City Literacy Partnership • Aberdeen College • Aberdeen Committee for Older People • Aberdeen Cyrenians •

Aberdeen Foyer • Aberdeen Healthy Living Network • Aberdeen University Centre for Lifelong Learning • Aberdeen University School of Education • Aberdeenshire Adult Education Network • Aberdeenshire Childcare Partnership • Aberdeenshire Council • Aberdeenshire Council Community Learning & Development • Aberdeenshire Foyer • Aberdeenshire Library & Information Service (ALIS) • Aberdeenshire Literacy Partnership • Aberdeenshire Volunteer Network • Adult & Family Learning Forum • Adult Basic Education • Albyn House • ALF(I)E

PartnersThe WEA works with a wide range of partner organisations from communities all over England and Scotland – usually to deliver courses to their existing

users or members. Partners that we worked with to deliver courses during the academic year 2007/08 are listed on the following two pages.

www.wea.org.uk

19

Sensory Awareness Project • Healthy Working Lives • Heritage Lottery Fund • HIE Argyll and the Islands

Enterprise • HIE Inverness and East Highland Enterprise • Highland Council • Highland ESOL

Providers’ Forum • Highland International Womens Group • Highland Libraries • Highland One World

Group • Highland Theological College (HTC) Dingwall Learning Centre • Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE)

• Highlands & Islands Equality Forum • Highlands & Islands Fire Rescue Service ESOL Project • Highlands & Islands Partnership Programme • Highlands Adult Literacies Partnership • Hilton Community Centre –

Inverness • His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen • Historic Scotland • Homestart • Ibrox Writers • Inspire •

Institute for College Research Development & Support (ICRDS) • Inverclyde Council • Inverclyde Literacies

Partnership • Inverness College • Inverness Museum & Gallery • Isobel Rhind Centre • James Cameron Centre • Jim Mair Driver Training Ltd • Job Centre Plus • John Muir Award • Kilmarnock College • Kilmarnock Prison •

Lanarkshire Association for Mental Health • Langside College • LEAD Scotland • Learn Direct 4 Business •

Learn Direct Scotland • Learning Link Scotland • Levenmouth Communities Regeneration Group • Living Memory Association • Local Health Boards • Lochaber College • Loretto Housing Association • Lothian Health • Marischal Museum • Maryhill CAB Asylum Seeker &

Refugee Project • Maryhill Writers • MECOPP • Mental Health Aberdeen • Merkinch Community Centre • Merkinch Enterprise • Midlothian Adult Literacy &

Numeracy Initiative (MALANI) • Midlothian Community Learning Partnership • Midlothian Council • Moray Adult Literacy Partnership • Moray College • Moray Council • Moray Firth Partnership • Moray House

• Alness Heritage Centre • Angus Council • Angus Literacies Partnership • Arden House Project • Argyll & Bute Council • Argyll & Bute Literacies Partnership • Argyll & Bute Volunteer Centre • Argyll & Islands Enterprise • Argyll Training • ASDA • Ashgrove Family Centre • Asset Skills • Averon Centre Alness • Aviemore & Area Learning Partnership (AALP) • Awards for All • Ayr College • Ayr North Regeneration Team • Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry • Banff & Buchan College of Further Education • Barnardos Apna Project • Barrhead Housing Association • Beach Leisure Centre • BEMIS • Ca(i)re Project • Caberfeidh Care Home • Cairngorms National Park • Caithness Community Education Building • Care for Carers • Careers Scotland • Carnegie College • CEiS (Ayrshire) • Chest, Heart and Stoke Scotland • Choices Day Respite Centre • Citadel Arts Group • Citizens Advice Scotland • City Literacy and Numeracy Edinburgh Partnership (CLAN) • City of Edinburgh Council • City of Edinburgh Council Libraries • Communication Workers Union (CWU) • Communitas • Community Food Initative

North East (CFINE) • Community Fund • Confidence to Cook • Cornerstone Employment Support • Cromarty Centre • CVS Fife • Deaf Action • Deaf Communication Project • Dept. for Adult & Continuing Education (DACE), University of Glasgow • Digital Fife • Dingwall Community Centre • Diverse Attractions • Drugs Action • Dundee Adult Literacies Partnership • Dundee City Council • East Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership • East Ayrshire Council • East Ayrshire Council Adult Literacies Partnership • East Ayrshire Employability Forum • East Ayrshire Employment Initiative • East Ayrshire Skills, Development & Employability Service • East Dunbartonshire Council • East Renfrewshire Council • East Renfrewshire Key Skills Sub Group • Edinburgh Adult Education Group (EAEG) • Edinburgh Childcare Partnership •

Edinburgh Filmhouse • Edinburgh Leisure • Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) • Edinburgh World Heritage • Edinburgh’s Active Citizenship Group • Elmwood College • Enable • Energiser Project • Engender • Enterprise North East Trust • Equal • Equal Opportunities Commission • ESEP Ltd • Ethnic Minority Forum • Ethnic Minority Grants Scheme (EMEGS) – UVAF • Ethnic Minority Law Centre • European Social Fund (ESF) • Fairburn Activity Centre • Fairisle Nursery • Falkirk Adult Literacy and Numeracy Partnership • Falkirk

Community Learning Partnership • Falkirk Council • Falkland Centre for Stewardship • Federation of Small Businesses • Federation of Writers (Scotland) • Fife Community Food Project • Fife Community Guidance Network • Fife Council • Fife Council Community Learning & Development Partners Group • Fife Council Deaf Communications Unit • Fife Council ESOL Service • Fife Employability Network • Fife Employment Access Trust (FEAT) • Fife Libraries • Fife Literacies Partnership • Food for Fife • Four Seasons Care • Galgael Trust • Gingerbread

• Glasgow Adult Literacy & Numeracy Sub-Group • Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance • Glasgow Association for Mental Health • Glasgow City Council • Glasgow Community Learning Strategy Partnership • Glasgow Community Planning Partnership • Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS) • Glasgow Disability Alliance • Glasgow ESOL Forum • Glasgow ESOL Strategy Sub-Group • Glasgow Homeless Network • Glasgow Museums • Glasgow Nautical College • Glasgow Science Centre • Glasgow Violence Against Women Partnership •

Glasgow Women’s Library • Glasgow Works • Glen Tanar Estate • Grampian Fire & Rescue Service • Great Northern Partnership • Grundtvig • Gunners Club, Kirkcaldy • Haven Products • Health Improvement Fund • Healthpoint • Healthways Project • Healthy Living Centre for School of Education, University of Edinburgh •

Morningside Heritage Association • MP33 Project • Mungo Foundation • NAMAL • National Children’s

Home (NCH) Inverness Family Project • National ESOL Panel • National Library of Scotland • National

Museum of Scotland • National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT) • Natural History Museum •

Naver Business Centre, Thurso • Neighbourhood Writers • Newbattle Abbey College • NEXUS • NHS

Argyll & Clyde • NHS Ayrshire & Arran • NHS Borders • NHS Dumfries & Galloway • NHS Fife • NHS Forth Valley • NHS Grampian • NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde • NHS Highland • NHS Lanarkshire • NHS

Lothian • NHS Orkney • North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership • North Ayrshire Council • North Ayrshire Council Adult Literacies Partnership • North Ayrshire Working for Families Initiative • North East

Economic Forum • North East Scotland Credit Union (NESCU) • North Forum • North Highland College •

North Lanarkshire Council • North of Scotland Learning Network • North West Carers Centre • Nursing/Care

Homes • Oban Volunteer Centre • Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPAS) •

Orkney Islands Council • Outlook Project Edinburgh • Parents as Early Education Partners (PEEP) •

Partnership Housing • Pathways • People First Sector Skills Council • Perrins Centre, Alness • Perth & Kinross Council • Peterhead Maternity • Phoenix

House • Pilton Carers Centre • Pilton Video • Primrosehill Family Centre • Public & Commercial

Services Union (PCSU) • Quarriers • Race Equality Community Intergration & Support Fund • Raigmore Community Centre • Rathbone • Recognition of Prior

Learning Project • Reid Kerr College • Remploy •

Many of the WEA’s longest-standing partnerships are with trade unions. These partnerships have been at the forefront of developing innovative approaches to education since 1908, when the TUC was first represented on the WEA’s Advisory Committee. Current WEA courses in partnership with trade unions provide a wide range of learning opportunities – from Skills for Life to Access courses – for adults who want to return to learning in order to further their personal and occupational development.

Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) is pictured at the opening of the WEA Trade Union and Workplace Learning Centre in London, which was also attended by Bob Crow, General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).

Courses at the centre are provided by the London Region of the WEA for trade union representatives, safety representatives and union learning representatives. The vast majority of the courses are part of the TUC’s national programme, and all are externally accredited.

Renfrewshire Council • Robert Gordon University • Rosemount Lifelong Learning Centre • Ross & Cromarty Enterprise • Roundhouse Sheltered Housing • Routes to Work South • Royal College of Nurses (RCN) • Royal Commission for Ancient and Historic Monuments • Royal Cornhill Hospital Occupational Therapy • Royal Cornhill Hospital Social Work • Safer Communities Trust • Scotia Clubhouse • Scotland Rural Past Project • Scotland’s Colleges • Scottish Agricultural College • Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) • Scottish Borders

Adult Literacies Partnership • Scottish Borders Council • Scottish Childminding Association • Scottish Commission for Devolution • Scottish Community Foundation • Scottish Consumer Council • Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) • Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework • Scottish Deaf Association • Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire • Scottish Enterprise Glasgow • Scottish Government Education Department • Scottish Government Equality Unit • Scottish Government Health Department • Scottish Government Learning

Connections • Scottish Government Lifelong Learning Directorate • Scottish Government Social Work Department • Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care • Scottish Mentoring Network • Scottish Natural Heritage • Scottish Objective 3 Partnership • Scottish Parliament • Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) • Scottish Refugee Council • Scottish Screen Archive • Scottish Social Services Council • Scottish Social Services Learning Network • Scottish Storytelling Centre • Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) • Scottish Union Learning Fund

(SULF) • Scottish Women’s Convention • Scottish Working People’s History Trust • SCRAN • Seabank House • Second Chance to Learn/Edinburgh University Settlement • Sector Skills Council for the Environmental & Land-based Sector (LANTRA) • Sheerface • Shell Step Programme • Sheltered Housing • Shetland Islands Council • Shetland Literacies Partnership • Skills Development Scotland • Skills for Care and Development • Skills for Health • South Ayrshire Council • South Ayrshire Council Adult Literacies Partnership • South Carrick Regeneration Team • South East of Scotland Learning Network • South Lanarkshire Adult Literacies Partnership • South Lanarkshire Council • Spectrum Community Centre • St Aubins Project • St Machar Parent Support Project • Stirling Council • STUC Skills and Lifelong Learning Project • Surestart • Tayforth Learning Network • The Cockburn Association • The Cottage Family Centre • The Edinburgh Room and Central Library • The Lintel Trust • The Moffat Charitable Trust • The National Archives of Scotland • The Old Town Association,

Edinburgh • The Patrick Geddes Archive, University of Strathclyde • The Robertson Trust • The Round Room • The Women’s Fund for Scotland (SCF) • Torryburn Community Garden Project • Transport & General Workers Union (T&GWU) • Turning Point • UN City of Literature • Union of Shop, Distributive & Allied Workers (USDAW) • UNISON • UNITE Amicus • UNITE The Union • University of the Highlands & Islands Millennium Project • Victim Support Highland • VOICE • Voluntary Action • Voluntary Action Fund • Voluntary Action Inverness • Voluntary

Sector Workforce Development Unit • Volunteer Centre Fife • Volunteering Highland • VSA Family Support Project • VSA Young Carers’ Centre • Way We Were Group • WECAN! Network • Wellbeing Initiative • West Dunbartonshire Council • West Dunbartonshire Literacies Partnership • West Lothian Council • West Lothian Literacy Partnership • West of Scotland Learning Network • Western Isles Council • Whitespace • Wider Horizons • Williamson Family Centre • Women’s Aid • Workable • Working for Families • Working Links

• World Development Movement • Young Mens Christian Association (YMCA) • Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA) • Youth Highland

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

20

WEA General Secretary Richard Bolsin on the main

achievements during the 2007/08 academic year and

some of the challenges ahead

The last year has been an important and successful one for the WEA. We have continued to argue the case for adult learning to the Government,

confident of the high quality of what we do following inspections by HMI in Scotland

and Ofsted in England. HMI judged WEA provision in Scotland to be outstanding,

while Ofsted concluded that the WEA is a good provider of adult learning (see page

five for more). We are very pleased with the outcome of the inspections, particularly

the recognition they gave to the quality of teaching and learning in the WEA, the

expertise of our tutors, the importance of the contribution made by volunteers and

the value of our partnership work. The inspectors also broadly agreed with our

own assessment of our strengths and areas for improvement, reflecting well on the

leadership and management of the Association.

Our campaigning on the importance of

adult learning during the year developed

from a successful national conference,

which attracted more than 200 delegates

from the adult learning sector as well as

within the WEA. The conference led to a

number of articles and publications, all

of which made a powerful case for the

value of adult learning. You can read more

about conference on page eight.

During the year the WEA engaged

in meetings and events with three

Secretaries of State and several

Government Ministers. We also gave

members, tutors, learners, branches and

regions, as well as from the Association

itself. Subsequently the White Paper

The Learning Revolution has been

published. The WEA broadly welcomes

the White Paper and we have shown our

commitment to working constructively

with government on adult learning by

signing its Principles and Pledge.

At the same time, as one of the founder

members of CALL (the Campaigning

Alliance for Lifelong Learning), the WEA

will continue to fight for adult learning to

be recognised as a key component in the

continuum of provision which empowers

people and builds democracy, as well as

contributing to the country’s economic

well-being.

All of this has contributed to raising our

profile, and there is clear evidence, not

least in The Learning Revolution, that the

WEA now features more prominently and

plays a more active part in the political

and general landscape of lifelong learning.

This may also help partly to explain why,

since the re-launch of its membership

scheme in the summer of 2008 over

23,000 members have joined the WEA,

many of them new to the Association.

That figure is continuing to rise daily.

For the future, it is possible to be clear

only about the near certainty of imminent

and significant change to the funding

and landscape of adult learning, which is

bound to affect the WEA. We will know

more as the next year unfolds. However,

we no longer need to fear such upheaval.

Our mission is clear, and the need for the

WEA undiminished, whatever government

policy is and whatever funding agencies

propose. Our profile is high and the WEA

is respected, whichever measure you care

to apply. Leadership, management and

governance are good and improving, and

we now have it in our sights to reach and

to achieve excellence.

A new Assocation Plan is now being

implemented and lays down in more

detail exactly what those goals will be and

how we will achieve them. It will build on

an existing process of reshaping within

the WEA, which is already helping us

to revitalise membership and branches,

to take steps towards fundraising and

diversifying our educational income and to

improve the WEA’s profile.

evidence on more than one occasion to

the NIACE Commission of Enquiry into

the future of Lifelong Learning. We argued

for the value lifelong learning has for

happiness and well-being, to sustainability

and to community regeneration.

Around the same time, we also organised

a series of seminars and events around

the country to raise awareness and

promote responses to the Government’s

consultation about the future of Adult

Learning. This led to a record number

of responses to such a Government

consultation, many of them from WEA

www.wea.org.uk

21

Top-left: A learner on one of the Reach OUT! programmes run by the WEA in Plymouth. The courses are held for residents at Longreach House, a centre for secondary drug rehabilitation. The WEA runs courses there to engage residents in education they want (course subjects are negotiated with the learners) and to add value to their therapeutic input.

Top-middle: Students in Erica Middleton’s art class in Loughborough temporarily transformed their classrooms into a gallery space and bar in June 2009. Eighteen students exhibited and sold their work on the night.

Top-right: Richard Bolsin, WEA General Secretary (left) and Professor David Vincent, Open University Pro Vice-Chancellor for Strategy, Planning and External Affairs, agreed a joint statement of intent for the two organisations to work together to extend the opportunities available to adult learners. The statement was signed in Cintra House, Cambridge, which houses regional offices of both the WEA and the OU.

Middle-left: Neil Kirsch (centre), who attends WEA Barnets Branch courses, won NIACE’s Older Learner of the Year Award for the East of England. Taxi driver Neil is about to complete a degree in English through Birkbeck College – having left school at 16 with only a couple of GCEs. Pictured with Neil are WEA tutor Michael King (left) and David Tyler from WEA Barnets Branch. 84 year old Norman Mann from Essex won the same award in the subsequent year – Norman attended WEA courses through a partnership with local charity InterAct and now volunteers on their Expert Patient Programme.

Centre: WEA learners from the Right to Learn Group at the WEA Spring Conference in Newcastle. The Group was set up by Newcastle Branch, but attracted non-WEA supporters too by setting up a stall in the city centre during Adult Learners’ Week.

Middle-right: Over 250 people attended this fashion parade held by women from sheltered housing schemes across Liverpool and St Helens. The women attended a WEA Culture of Fashion course in Newton Le Willows. They designed and created outfits from clothes bought in a second-hand shop before showing them off at the paradeinLiverpool’sMetQuarter.TheeventwaspartofWEANorthWestRegion’sCulture of Arts project.

Bottom-left: South African artist and WEA tutor Mbuyisa Maphalala with one of the pieces from the Age Concern Southwark Black Elders Group’s ‘Journey’ exhibition. Their work, developed on Mbuyisa’s WEA course, was shown at the Café Gallery in Southwark Park.

Bottom-middle: Chris Thackrah (centre), WEA North West Region’s unionlearn courseco-ordinator,acceptingaunionlearnQualityAwardfromthethenSecretaryofStateforInnovation,UniversitiesandSkillsJohnDenham(right).TheQualityAwardisgiven to providers who demonstrate that union learners are considered in the design, development and delivery of their courses and programmes. Also pictured is WEA’s North West Regional Director Greg Coyne.

Bottom-right: The WEA worked with the Media Workshop Southampton to produce these recipe cards as part of the Khana Peena project with women from Asian backgrounds. The recipes on the cards were produced by the students, who had returned to education through a healthy lifestyle project with oral history weaved in. The women discussed their life in the UK and how they had adapted their cooking to suit the bustle of Western life, as well as measuring quantities and timings to get the recipes just right.

2009 The Workers’ Educational Association

5. North WestWorkers’ Educational AssociationSuite 405 The Cotton Exchange BuildingOld Hall Street (Bixteth Street Entrance)Liverpool, L3 9JRTel: 0151 243 5340Fax: 0151 243 5359Email: northwest@wea.org.uk

6. SouthernWorkers’ Educational Association57 Riverside 2 Sir Thomas Longley Road Rochester, Kent ME2 4DPTel: 01634 298 600Fax: 01634 298 601Email: southern@wea.org.uk

7. South WestWorkers’ Educational AssociationBradninch CourtCastle Street, Exeter EX4 3PLTel: 01392 457 300Fax: 01392 457 344Email: southwest@wea.org.uk

8. West MidlandsWorkers’ Educational Association4th Floor, Lancaster House67 Newhall StreetBirmingham, B3 1NQTel: 0121 237 8120Fax: 0121 237 8121Email: westmidlands@wea.org.uk

9. Yorkshire and HumberWorkers’ Educational Association6 Woodhouse SquareLeeds, LS3 1ADTel: 0113 245 3304Fax: 0113 245 0883Email: yorkshumber@wea.org.uk

10. Scottish AssociationWorkers’ Educational AssociationRiddles Court322 LawnmarketEdinburgh, EH1 2PGTel: 0131 226 3456Fax: 0131 220 0306Email: hq@weascotland.org.uk

Registered Office (and for national enquiries)Workers’ Educational Association3rd Floor70 Clifton StreetLondon, EC2A 4HBTel: 020 7426 3450Fax: 020 7426 3451Email: national@wea.org.uk

www.wea.org.uk

This report is printed on 75% recycled paper.

Designed and Printed by SouthSide Publishing www.southside-uk.com

The WEA is funded by the LSC, the organisation that exists to make England better skilled and more competitive.

WEA Regional Offices

1. East MidlandsWorkers’ Educational Association39 Mapperley RoadNottingham, NG3 5AQTel: 0115 962 8400Fax: 0115 962 8401Email: eastmidlands@wea.org.uk

2. EasternWorkers’ Educational AssociationCintra House12 Hills RoadCambridge, CB2 1JPTel: 01223 417 320Fax: 01223 417 321Email: eastern@wea.org.uk

3. LondonWorkers’ Educational Association4 Luke StreetLondon, EC2A 4XW Tel: 020 7426 1950Fax: 020 7729 9821Email: london@wea.org.uk

4. North EastWorkers’ Educational Association21 Portland Terrace Jesmond Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1QQTel: 0191 212 6100Fax: 0191 212 6101Email: northern@wea.org.uk

Front cover main picture

WEA learner Ernie Walker with a painting he exhibited in the ‘From Beyond to Therefore’ exhibition held at the Hatton Gallery in Newcastle. Ernie attends WEA courses at The Studio at St Nicholas’ Hospital, Gosport. He says, “If I wasn’t involved in the studio I don’t think I’d go out of the house... now I’m really proud that people are going to be coming along to the gallery and seeing my painting. I don’t mind what they think as long as it provokes a reaction.” Studio co-ordinator Kevin Meikle says, “Doing something like this can really help with self-esteem and for many of the studio users it’s like therapy.”

Photo by Andy Commins, courtesy of Newcastle Evening Chronicle

The WEA is committed to equality and diversity.

The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is a charity registered in England and Wales (number 1112775) and in Scotland (number SC039239) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (number 2806910).