Community (Adult) Learning

Rural Outreach Learning  Initiative

The ROLI project

Having successfully recruited six "Learning Hosts" over the past month we are now looking for others to join them.

As a leading member of a voluntary group in your community, you may be well placed to see how adults could benefit by having a chance to learn something new.

They might also remember how much they used to enjoy fun classes and you will be able to enthuse and arrange local learning in your village with our help.

If you are interested, why not fill in and return our "expression of interest" form so we  see how we can make it happen in your village community

ROLI Expression of Interest form

Skills and Learning Newsletter Oct 2006

Our first newsletter from the Community Learning Team is published this month. We hope to bring you news and views from around rural Devon about the wide range of skills and learning that is happening in a series of quarterly briefings. We would welcome contributions and letters for publication for our next edition due in January 2007.

S&L News October 2006

The Women & Micro-Enterprise Project

The Women and Micro-Enterprise project, which started in April 2006, aims to improve the economic position of women in rural Devon by promoting and supporting new business start-up activity and the development and growth of existing women-owned micro-enterprises.

The project runs in the North Devon, Torridge, West Devon and South Hams districts and, building on the success of earlier community learning projects run by CCD, it operates through a series of community Business ‘Host’ groups that represent or involve women.  

Host Groups

Business Host groups can be any not-for-profit community or special interest group such as a pre-school group, village hall committee, childminder’s association, parent-teacher association, business club, parish council, WI group etc.

There is funding for a total of 16 Business Host groups, spread across the four project districts. As a Business Host Group you will receive the support of the WAM project worker to find out what your members need in terms of business advice, guidance and support and personal training and development.  You will then be guided as to the various services already available to support business start-up and business development and gain help in selecting additional support services that meet the needs of your group members.

Project Participants

Any woman over the age of 16 who lives within one of the four project districts is eligible to participate in the WAM project, provided she is interested in finding out more about the possibilities of business start-up or developing her existing business.  Wherever possible support and training events will be held locally and funding is available to help with transport and care costs.

Funding

Business Host groups are able to claim up to £1500 of funding towards the additional support and development services that they may wish to buy in for their group.  The transport and care cost funding is additional to this amount.

Project Leaflets for Download:

Leaflets are available from the Community Council of Devon on request or by downloading them on line as a pdf file:

Leaflet for potential Community Business Hosts
Leaflet for potential Women Project Participants

Project Background

Research conducted in 2004 by Exeter University and CCD confirmed the significant barriers faced by rural women wishing to join or return to the labour market and recommended entrepreneurship as a flexible and accessible employment opportunity for rural women.  WAM is a partnership project managed by The Community Council of Devon on behalf of the Devon and Torbay Learning Partnership. It is funded by Devon Renaissance and Devon County Council and is supported by the European Regional Development Fund. 
If you wish to be considered as a “Community Business Host” please call or email to have an informal discussion about your ideas as a voluntary group or organization to jan@devonrcc.org.uk or phone 01392 381256.

New Rural Outreach Learning Initiative (ROLI)

Following on from previous successes working with “learning champions” or hosts across rural Devon over the past five years to encourage and enable adult learners to get into enjoyable first steps learning,  a new project based on the models pioneered by

• Community Outreach in Rural Area(CORA),
• Rural Bridges to Learning (RB2L) and
• Community Outreach in the Blackdown Hills (COBRA)

is now live!

The ROLI project over the next 18months to two years anticipates working with up to 32 “Learning Hosts”, helping 360 adult learners get an opportunity to return to learning by taking up locally arranged short educational courses.  Previous learning hosts have been Village Hall Committees, Parish Councils, Parent-Teacher Associations in primary schools and voluntary Childcare groups such as Pre-schools and Childminding Associations.

Once a learning host has signed up, ideas for an enjoyable learning activity can be investigated.  The first course, which need not lead directly to a qualification, would be offered as a result of a local consultation with potential learners by the hosting organisation.

Already three hosting organisations have signed up, two in North devon and one in Torridge.

• Could you be the next?

The course would be offered and taught by qualified tutors from a range of high quality providers at a time, place and pace to suit the particular group of learners.

From the initial course, it may well be possible to arrange additional activities which could be self sustaining.

Leaflets are available from the Community Council of Devon on request or by downloading them on line as a pdf file.

ROLI General Leaflet download [ Here ]
ROLI Host Leaflet download [ Here ]
ROLI Learner Leaflet download [ Here ]

If you wish to be considered as a “learning
host or champion” please call or email to have an informal discussion about your ideas as a voluntary group or organisation to
bob@devonrcc.org.uk or phone 01392 382777. Why not do it now?

COBRA - Community Outreach in the Blackdown Hills Rural Area  - April' 05 - Sept' 06

COBRA Background

The COBRA project is based on the 'CORA - Community Outreach in Rural Areas' model which focuses on the principle of developing 'learning hosts' to deliver learning and training opportunities to groups / communities that they represent in their rural areas (details at the end of the page). The COBRA project is overseen by a steering group who meet regularly to discuss the project progress. Members of this group include:

• Somerset Adult Learning and Leisure www.learnsomerset.co.uk
• Somerset Chamber of Commerce www.somerset-chamber.co.uk
• Career Finder www.connexions-somerset.org.uk
• Blackdown Hills Business Association www.bhba.org.uk
• Community Council for Somerset www.somersetrcc.org.uk
• Blackdown Hills Rural Partnership www.blackdown-hills.net
• Blackdown Hills Hedge Association www.blackdown-hills.net/BHHA.htm
• Devon and Torbay Learning Partnership www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/llp/partsw09.htm

Learners

The projects is targeted at women, young and older people, groups suffering social exclusion, and local micro-businesses. It aims to encourage learners to gain a qualication, progress into employment or enter further learning.

Funding

Funding is accessible for 8 groups based in the either Devon or Somerset and fall within the Blackdown Hills. Funds are available to help support the provision of learning by paying for tutor fees, covering the costs of hiring a venue, assisting the host in setting up and delivering the learning etc.

So far the project is committed to supporting a number of hosts:

1. Blackdown Hills Business Association - www.bhba.org.uk - Business Advice. Click here for the (BHBA Case Study)
2. Therapists establishing a social enterprise - MBrace. Click here for the (MBrace Case Study).
3. Hemyock Pre School - Pre School First Aid. Click here for the (Hemyock Pre-school First aid case study).
4. Tatworth and Forton Residents Association - Computers for Beginners.
5. Pitminster Parish Plan Group - Over 60's Computer Course (Pitminster Parish Group Case Study)
6. Smeatharpe WI - Primary Certficate in Food Hygiene
7. Blackdown Hills Natural Fibre Group - Worm Testing

Learning Providers

The COBRA project is working to establish links between Learning Hosts and organisations able to deliver learning in the Blackdown Hills.

Bicton College - situated in East Devon and offering full or part time courses to students of all ages and from all walks of life. Courses are practical and vocational including: Outdoor Leisure, Equine, Animal Care, Agriculture, Horticulture, Countryside, Environment, Veterinary Nursing, Working with Children and more.       Visit [www.bicton.ac.uk]

Devon Adult Community Learning - wide variety of courses offered locally. Learners come from a variety of backgrounds with ages from 16 to 92. Free Tasters - Outreach Service - Accredited Courses. Arts & Crafts, Languages, IT, Business, First Aid, Food Hygiene. Find out about subsidised courses.                              Visit [www.devon.gov.uk/adult learning] 

COSMIC - work with people at all levels of ability and confidence making sure they are well supported. Accredited / non-accredited training, ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) and CLAIT, MS Office all applications, Multimedia audio / video, Website development / maintenance, internet and email, graphics and digital cameras.  Courses tailored to specific age groups.  Free Tasters. Laptops and specialist equipment for disabled users.         Visit www.cosmic.org.uk, or call Menna Williams on 01404  813226

The Training Station - Somerset’s one-stop shop for all your training needs. A free, publicly-funded service providing single-point access to high-quality skills development, we have access to an extensive network of training professionals, many of whom tailor their content and delivery to your specific requirements.                 To find out more, visit www.thetrainingstation.org.uk.

ViSTA (Voluntary Sector Training Alliance) - We offer an extensive programme of FREE short courses, as well as Tailor -made Training, for VCS (Voluntary and Community Sector) organisations in Somerset.                                                  Visit www.vistaproject.org.uk

Young Somerset - courses for adult volunteers leading to qualifications in Food Hygiene, First Aid, Health & Safety, Drugs Awareness, Mini Bus Licence, other ASDAN / NOCN courses. Young people, aged 12+, can access a range of ASDAN courses, Personal Finance, Creative Activities, Sports & Games, Adventure & Residential and more.   Visit www.youngsomerset.org

Somerset Adult Community Learning - Whether you are looking to take up a new interest, have fun, secure a qualification or just wanting to stay fit and healthy - Adult Learning & Leisure offer a variety of courses to choose from available across the county, all year.      Visit www.learnsomerset.co.uk

For more information about the COBRA project please contact Greg Davies Email: greg@devonrcc.org.uk Tel: 01392 383443 or you can download the COBRA leaflets for potential hosts or potential learners.

Download the COBRA Learner Leaflet [ Here ]
Download the Learning Hosts Leaflet [ Here ]

For more information on previous projects  - CORA Community Outreach in Rural Areas and Rural Bridges to Learning or Rural Bridges to Learning - RB2L - contact Peter Harding email: peter@devonrcc.org.uk Tel: 01392 383443