The Community Education Fund (Round 39) is now open for funding applications to deliver learning programmes and courses in the 2024-25 academic year (ending 31 July 2025). This funding supports learning opportunities for adults (aged 19+) and families who live, work or volunteer in West Berkshire with specific focus on:

• Re-connecting with learning.
• Gaining new skills and qualifications.
• Improving health and wellbeing.
• Developing employment opportunities.
• Supporting families to develop their children’s learning and development.
• Developing local communities.

To apply, download the CEF39 bid form. The deadline for bids is 5pm, Friday, 17 May 2024.

For further information, please see the attached leaflet or contact a member of the Community Learning team on email aclteam@westberks.gov.uk or telephone 01635 519060.

Multiply is a government funded programme of free numeracy courses that support adults, aged 19+, to develop their maths skills both within the home and at work.

Designed to provide confidence in numbers or simply as a maths refresher, the courses are short and flexible to fit around busy lives. The subjects vary from working out percentages and ratios to everyday activities like household budgeting, cooking for families or helping children with homework. There are also courses to support progression to maths qualifications, using spreadsheets and understanding payslips.

Multiply offers accessible and relevant courses, friendly tutors, and a range of options to provide a positive and rewarding experience. Residents can choose from locally based one-off courses, to multiple sessions in-person or online.

Click here for more information or contact the Community Learning Team on 01635 519060 or aclteam@westberks.gov.uk

The annual Tutor Forum took place in November to support the training and development of community learning tutors and providers.

The sessions provided an update on the local and national post 19 education sector, a presentation by Creative Communities on its local health and wellbeing programme and a deep dive into curriculum planning reflecting local needs and requirements.

The event was well attended, and tutors welcomed the opportunity to catch up on new developments, share best practice and meet up with colleagues from across a range of local education and training providers.

For further information, or to access the Tutor Forum presentations, please contact the Community Learning team on the aclteam@westberks.gov.uk or telephone 01635 519060.

Starting from April 2024, existing childcare support will be expanded in phases. By September 2025, most working families with children under the age of five will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare support.

The changes are being introduced gradually to make sure that providers can meet the needs of more families. This means that:

From April 2024, eligible working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours childcare support.

From September 2024, 15 hours childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents of children from the age of nine months to three-year-olds.

From September 2025, eligible working parents with a child from nine months old up to school age will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare a week. 

Like the existing offer, depending on your provider, these hours can be used over 38 weeks of the year or up to 52 weeks if you use fewer than your total hours per week.

For more information click here

The importance of being earnest… in volunteering

Local reading charity, ABC to read, lays its success at the feet of the 140+ volunteers who serve the local community so earnestly.

Founded in 2004, the organisation celebrates 20 years of improving young lives by supporting primary school children who struggle with their reading to flourish and progress in life. From the start volunteers have been central to the success of ABC to read and their contribution continues to be key to unlocking children’s minds across the district. 

ABC to read specifically assists children not entitled to individual help through statutory funding, with a focus on children from disadvantaged backgrounds and schools in deprived areas.  They do not just listen to children read but support those children who are not able to read or need a helping hand. The charity also provides workshops to show parents how to support children at home as well as delivery buddy schemes for students to mentor younger ones for whom reading is a challenge.

Marcia Rowlinson, ABC to read CEO, said: “We have always been grateful for the investment of time and skill that our volunteers give to our local youngsters. We are also grateful that the volunteers themselves feel so invested in and cared for, as this latest survey shows. We love our volunteers as much as they love igniting sparks of interest in such a beloved and critical pastime."

Awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service, ABC to read is keen to extend its work across the community by linking with schools and developing its network of volunteers. For more information about training days or joining the scheme as a school or volunteer mentor, contact: info@abctoread.org.uk

Volunteer Centre West Berkshire is offering a Suicide Prevention First Aid training course on the 9 May from 9:30am to 1pm. This City and Guilds accredited course will be delivered by suicide prevention outreach worker Sue Bennett.

• The training will equip you with the tools to enable you to ask the right questions and signpost people to the right support
• The course is interactive, friendly and empowering

For more information and to enrol on the course click on the QR code below.

Read Easy continues to support adults learning to read with one-to-one coaching. The group was set up  to support local adults in West Berkshire at the beginning of 2023 and they are making great progress in working with local partner organisations to identify and connect with adults across the community.

Read Easy West Berkshire’s Team Leader Mark Ingvorsen says those who struggle to read should not feel embarrassed about coming forward and asking for help: “There are lots of different reasons why people don’t learn to read in childhood. For some it may have been a lack of support from their own family or school, for others it may have been undiagnosed dyslexia. But people should not feel ashamed or embarrassed about it. We are friendly, welcoming, and here to help.”

The one-to-one coaching is delivered by trained volunteers.  Coaches and readers meet twice a week at approved local venues, or online, to work for just half an hour at a time through a structured, phonics-based reading programme called Turning Pages. Achievement and progress is recognised at five key stages during the course.

Click here for more information. 

With a focus on strengthening local communities, Connecting Communities in Berkshire (CCB) delivered three courses in the Spring term.  

They kicked it off in January with the 21^st Century Halls Conference in Beech Hill memorial hall, which was well attended by 30+ volunteers involved with running our village halls and community buildings. The afternoon learning session focused on how their halls can improve their carbon footprint and looked at the technology behind solar, air and ground source heating and infra-red.

A learner said, "I really enjoyed the informal discussion groups and networking opportunities to share best practices."

In February, CCB organised and facilitated delivery of an Essential First Aid course in rural West Isley which attracted over 20 local residents. The course provided skills and knowledge on basic first aid procedures in addition to ways to help in an emergency using everyday items.

March saw CCB head to Frilsham where they helped celebrate the nationally recognised ‘Village Halls Week’ with a session delivered CCB tutors, Maria Kelly & Kate Meads, on Community Consultation. Aimed at parish councillors and local community volunteers, this interesting and interactive workshop developed their understanding on how to engage with members of the community more effectively.  Following the course, a learner stated, “I really valued the ideas generated so our village hall can serve the community in a more practical and pragmatic way.”

For further details on local courses and to book your place please click here.

To contact CCB click here

West Berkshire Mencap provides a variety of adult day services in the local community for adults with learning disabilities.

The range of provision includes the Link-Up work skills programme, the Mulberry Garden project and a variety of initiatives including life skills courses, drama and cookery.

One of the most popular groups is Friendship Skills, which aims to raise awareness of learning disabilities and develop social inclusion. The group recently performed their version of Snow White, which was a huge success and was very much enjoyed by participants and audience members.

For more information click here or email: ads@wbmencap.org

Graft has launched Bridging Horizons, a new work experience project aimed at facilitating the journey of neurodiverse individuals into meaningful employment. 

Funded by the National Lottery, the project addresses the pressing need for supported work experience placements that was identified through Graft’s successful Supported Employment pilot project.

To support the project, Graft is interested in working with local organisations who are able to provide 2 – 12 weeks (paid or unpaid) work experience placements tailored for individuals with Autism/Neurodiversity. All delivery partners will receive Autism Awareness training, tailored placement support and between 2 and 12 weeks of additional help in the workplace.

Despite their eagerness to contribute to the workforce, official statistics reveal a stark reality for neurodiverse individuals. Only 30% of working-age autistic people are currently employed, facing significant challenges such as a substantial pay gap and limited access to permanent roles. (Ref. Buckland Report 2024).   By championing neurodiversity in the workplace and providing meaningful work experience placements, Graft aims to provide practical support for neurodiverse jobseekers that will help them move into permanent, paid employment – as well as providing advocacy and practical support for fair and inclusive employment practices,

To learn more about how you can support Bridging Horizons or to express your interest in partnering with us, please contact us at info@graft.org.uk

Click here for more information about GRAFT.

This academic year, Link Up is focusing on developing their client’s reading skills with the Progression in Reading course – Turning Pages.

This well-established programme consists of a range of reading material and activities that support adults to develop their reading skills at their own pace.

Progress checks are built into the course so that trainees and mentors can be confident that the new skills have been embedded.

The Turning Pages reading scheme was developed by the Shannon Trust to develop adult reading skills regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.

For more information about Link Up click here

The Community Learning Partnership brings together West Berkshire based learning providers and community organisations to provide a high quality, accessible, safe and varied community learning programmes for adults and families across the district.

Members include adult and family learning providers, local apprenticeship and training organisations, funding bodies and local communities groups and services. The Community Learning Partnership is open to any organisation involved in the delivery of post 19 education and training within West Berkshire.

If you would like to become a member please complete the online registration form.

The next Partnership meeting will take place on Thursday, 11 July 2024  at Shaw House.