Sea Devonport: The Learning Revolution in Plymouth!

CoastNet is celebrating securing over £50000 from the Government as part of a ‘learning for pleasure’ innovation spearheaded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

CoastNet’s Sea Devonport Project - one of over 213 winning projects, will be running a scheme to work with unemployed parents in a deprived coastal regeneration area in Plymouth, Devon. Visit the project BLOG for the latest news and photos.

The aim will be to provide skills training and knowledge in science, media and arts while developing an understanding of the environmental, social and economic heritage of this unique maritime area.

Theresa Redding, Coastnet’s Network Manager said about the project “This project showcases CoastNet’s ability to support a variety of individuals from a range of communities across Plymouth, culminating in an exhibition of the talents and projects that the participants have been working on.”

“While we are approaching this as an informal learning project, accreditation of the skills demonstrated will be our ultimate goal, with a percentage of the participants accessing further training as a direct result of CoastNet’s work with them.”

CoastNet is working with a range of organisations to promote this project across the city and is recruiting volunteers to assist in its delivery. Plymouth University Students are on board as are Deep Blue Sound. So far the project has attracted interest from people from Smithaleigh to Devonport, and hopes to attract more by offering assistance in accessing the project such as free child care and educational days out.

Across the nation, a diverse array of informal adult learning projects will be getting underway, ranging from creative music master classes for people out of work or education, learning adventures for isolated older people and reading opportunities for the over 60s. This grant is from the £20 million Transformation Fund, launched by Government to offer funding for to innovative informal adult learning projects in England.

This brings to life The Learning Revolution, a White Paper presented to Parliament in March 2009. The projects, many spearheaded by partnerships between public, private and third sector organisations, will help improve mental health, physical well-being, active citizenship and community cohesion, as well as providing a stepping stone towards further learning, qualifications and employment for many people.

Projects include:

An initiative to engage more than 2,000 adults who are not currently in training, employment or education, through celebrity-led creative music and media tasters, master classes and workshops, led by a partnership which includes Global Radio, the parent group of Heart FM, LBC and Galaxy stations.

A partnership between Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, Merseytravel, Urbis and a National Trust property which will create ‘learning journeys’ for young people 19-25, older people living in isolation and people recovering from substance abuse.   Each learner will use a free bus pass to take journeys around travel ‘lines’, including the Engineering Line, the Football Line and the Mersey Beat Line.

A project at Tyneside Cinema, in partnership with Newcastle University, to use the cinema’s new spaces and facilities to deliver digital technology, moving image, communications and IT learning to a wide range of people from different social backgrounds and develop online learning tools for others to share. A massive campaign, led by Booktrust and delivered through GP surgeries, libraries and Adult Education centres, to inspire thousands of over-60s to take up reading or writing for pleasure.

Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education, Skills and Consumer Affairs, said: “We’re happy to announce 213 successful recipients of our Transformation Fund grants, awarded in the face of stiff competition from a field of 1,400 applications. With projects ranging from creative writing and music to reading and art, it’s encouraging to see so many imaginative ideas for giving adults more opportunities to learn for the love of it.” “The benefits of learning for pleasure in an informal setting are wide-ranging, and they benefit the community as well as the individual. I hope that many people will develop the confidence and the local connections to take a big step towards a brighter future.”

The announcement about the latest Transformation Fund grants follows the award of £1 million worth of ‘early bird’ funding in July. Alan Tuckett, Chief Executive of NIACE, added: “NIACE is proud to have the role of supporting the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in managing the Transformation Fund. We argued in our response to the Informal Adult Learning consultation that there is no better stimulus for local adult learning providers than the creation of a fund to trigger innovation and new partnerships.” “There’s already evidence from the ‘early bird’ bids of how creative and imaginative community-based adult learning can be when given the funding to put ideas into practice.” Informal adult learning encompasses a wide variety of activities and can range from a self-organised reading group in a village hall to a guided visit to nature reserve or stately home.

Other Learning Revolution activities include The Learning Revolution Festival: a month-long celebration of informal adult learning that kicks off in October 2009. To find out more about The Learning Revolution, visit: www.bis.gov.uk/learningrevol....

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