GoLearn! Learner Newsletter October 2024

Houses of Parliament Trip

During the summer several of our ESOL learners (English for Speakers of Other Languages) took a trip to London to visit the Houses of Parliament.

The idea for the trip was born during a Christmas lesson on the history of Christmas crackers, with learners watching a video about crackers being made for Liberty in London. The learners were taken with the beauty and the rich history of the buildings in London and the Tutor contacted a local MP to book a tour of the Houses of Parliament and so the trip began!

The learners sprang into action planning the trip.  They settled on a date, husbands and family were booked to take over childcare duties, and holidays were booked at work. The class spent time researching different sites of interest in London to develop an itinerary for the day and alternative transport methods.

The learners and their Tutor set off by train from Market Harborough at 09:00am to London, to travel on the underground to Westminster.  For many of the learners this was a completely new experience.  When they surfaced from Westminster tube station, there was an audible gasp at the sight of Big Ben and (with many photo stops later) they cleared security and were in the Westminster Hall.

Our learners were part of larger tour (held in English), with the tour guide making the learners feel welcomed and part of British democracy. Learners were able to visit both the House of Commons and Lords and got to sit in the benches where MPs go when a division is called.  Amongst the many proud moments of the trip, was in the House of Commons when the tour guide asked what the difference between the Government and Parliament was.  One of the learners, Asma, clearly and precisely answered “Government runs the country, and the Parliament debates and passes new laws”.

Following the tour of the Houses of Parliament, the group visited Borough Market and explored the vast array of food available. (Strawberries in chocolate were the order of the day!) Then a short walk to see the Globe and then onto Tate Modern, before heading to the shops.

Despite having walked 20,000 steps the learners came back with beaming smiles, a sense of deep-rooted friendship, pride, and everlasting memories of a very special trip.

If you or someone you know might be interested in joining one of our ESOL courses this year, visit us online to discover our full range of courses.

20% New Year Discount Dates

We are delighted to confirm that a 20% New Year Discount will be offered on course fees starting in December 2024.

From 8:30am on Monday 2^nd December 2024 till 7:00pm on Friday the 31^st January 2025 a 20% discount will be available on fee-paying courses across the service. The discount is designed to help support residents in Leicestershire to access lifelong learning opportunities. This discount is available on both the Full and Reduced Fees and will automatically be applied to the price when enrolling online from 8:30am on 2^nd December.

Keep an eye out for future communications from the service which will notify you of the discount’s launch. In the meantime, you can visit us online for more details.

Learning together as one community

If you have been in centres over the past few weeks, you may have noticed new posters appearing in classrooms?

Our ‘Learning together’ posters illustrate the promises we make, as a service, to YOU our learners and our wider community. We promise to:

• Welcome everyone into our classrooms.
• Listen to all feedback you give us.
• Challenge discrimination where we see it.
• Respect each other’s views.
• Talk honestly about our concerns.
• Learn from each other’s experiences.

For more information on how we keep you safe in class, visit us online to learn more about Safeguarding, Prevent and Fundamental British Values.

Join our Learner Voice Forums and this October!

This October sees the launch of the first ever GoLearn! Learner Voice Forums, an opportunity for our adult learning community to come together and have a say in the development of the service.

The Forums will be taking part in Coalville, Thurmaston, Enderby and Loughborough this October, with more dates to follow in early 2025. Each Forum event will last for 2 hours, and you will work in small focus groups, supported by GoLearn! managers and staff, to discuss key areas of improvement which have been identified from learner feedback and service development plans.

Full details about the focus of the October Forums, and the signup-form are available via this link. Please notify us of any dietary requirements or access needs.

Loughborough Library Roadshow

Join us at Loughborough Library on 28^th November for a special community learning roadshow event and have your say on what adult learning courses you want in your area.

During the event you will have the opportunity to:

• Talk to the team about your learning goals,
• Learn more about seasonal recycling with the Council’s Environment and Waste Management team,
• Chat with the County Council’s Warm Homes team,
• Discuss what courses you would like to see in your area.

Free tea and coffee will be available on the day, and no booking is required for this event. Doors will be open from 11am till 1pm. Visit us online for more information.

My Jewellery, My Story

The ‘Finding Out About Your Local Area’ group, which involves learners from GoLearn’s Learning for Independence curriculum, kicked off their first session back after a long summer break with an exciting bead-making workshop.

Led by creative writer Alison Mott, they learned about the fascinating history of the 4000-year-old Bronze Age Cossington Necklace. The group examined a replica necklace up close, feeling the ancient materials such as jet, shale, and amber. Inspired by the story, the group was so enthusiastic that they decided to visit Charnwood Museum, where the original necklace is temporarily on display.

Artist Liz Waddell helped the group create and paint their own giant bead, which will feature in the upcoming exhibition titled ‘My Jewellery, My Story’. Amin, one of the participants, shared a touching story about his grandmother’s jewellery from Iran, deepening the group’s appreciation of personal and cultural connections to adornment.

Excited by the creativity and learning, the group is eagerly looking forward to their next session, which will include a story circle and some scrapbooking. They are excited to continue exploring personal stories and their connections to jewellery, as they work towards the exhibition that will celebrate their unique creations and histories.

The ‘My Jewellery, My Story’ exhibition is scheduled to launch in January 2025, you can visit Culture Leicestershire online to see more about their past projects.

Harborough at Work

This year, Culture Leicestershire’s Participation Team has had the pleasure of co-curating two new displays with Market Harborough’s Learning for Independence group.

Twelve creatives from the group contributed to Harborough Museum’s new temporary exhibition called ‘Harborough at Work’. The exhibition is a family friendly event looking at the Ladybird Books series ‘People at Work’. It considers how occupations and attitudes have changed since the publication of the first title sixty years ago.

The ‘Harborough Adult Learners at Work’ exhibition will be displayed in the Harborough Museum Local Studies Area from October 16th. Visit Culture Leicestershire online for more details.

Bosworth Explorers highlight accessibility on the Battlefield

The Bosworth Explorers, a fantastic group of adult learners from GoLearn’s Learning for Independence curriculum, have helped create an excellent accessibility film for the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and Country Park.

Their input was instrumental in highlighting areas that should be included, as well as taking part in the photography and filming. Their knowledge, lived experience, and enthusiasm has been invaluable in supporting the Council’s Heritage team to break down barriers which might stop people attending.

To watch the Bosworth Explorers in action on the battlefield watch the YouTube video below, or visit the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and Country Park website where you can also explore the events and activities taking place this autumn.

Become a ‘Culture to You’ volunteer!

‘Culture to You’ is an exciting NEW service which provides access to Leicestershire County Council’s unique art and museum collections, alongside interactive activities to people in their own homes.

There are different options residents can choose from. Whether they’re interested in simply borrowing a beautiful artwork or enjoying a cultural activity, ‘Culture to You’ will provide a bespoke offer tailored to individual needs and interests. There are 4 strands to the offer, Art to you, Activity to You, Reminiscence to you, and the Home Library Service. Anyone interested in using the service can pick and choose which area they are interested in most.

If you live in the Oadby and Wigston area and would like to receive the service free of charge, please get in touch. Visit the Culture Leicestershire site for more details.

Spaces still available in the Autumn Term

With half of the Autumn Term still to go, and the all-important Winter break to look forward to, we still have some spaces available on courses.