Connect Lockleaze attend the launch of the West of England Community Learning Partnership

At Ashton Court Mansion last night Gail Bowen-Huggett and Jo Earl (more about them and their roles in future posts) attended the launch of the West of England Community Learning Partnership – one of only 15 pilot partnership in the UK and the result of a successful bid to government earlier this year.

The Partnership will coordinate a huge range of courses ranging from financial management, learning English, using information technology and parenting to pottery, languages and local history. Providers of local learning, like Connect Lockleaze, are being encouraged to participate and contribute to this coordinated learning network.

Jane Taylor from Bristol City Council thanked everyone for their help and support with the bid and hoped that our commitment to the partnership would help Bristol to be a learning city for all people of all ages.

She then introduced speakers from a variety of organisations (Hartcliffe & Withywood Ventures, Wessex Water, Whitchurch Health Centre, TUC and B&Q) – all of whom shared their reasons for being involved with the community learning in general and the Partnership in particular.

Following their talks, each table was allowed to nibble crisps and chocolates as we devised new and exciting ways of encouraging people to participate in training courses and how to create some excitement about adult learning as a whole.

Bristol City Council Cabinet Member for Skills Cllr Clare Campion-Smith summed up by saying, “This new partnership will help deliver more learning opportunities to more people close to where they need it.  By tapping into rich expertise from businesses, colleges and community groups the Trust will be able to share more resources where they are needed the most. Some parts of the region will want to boost literacy rates, some might want to offer parenting or home improvement skills this new model will help co-ordinate targeted training where it is needed most.”

Everyone was very enthusiastic and Connect Lockleaze look forward to working in partnership with many of the people and organisations we met last night.