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Gateshead Council

   

LATV Launched

The 22^nd November saw the launch of LATV (Learning Abilities TV), a web based TV channel created and produced by learners with learning difficulties. 15 learners, along with IZON Audio Visual spent 9 months creating the channel that focuses on issues concerning people with learning difficulties. Features of LATV include a play looking at the issues of personal safety, a dance routine to highlight the importance of fitness and a news channel with interviews with the Mayor of Gateshead Joe Mitchinson.

Learning and Skills supported the project with Neighbourhood Learning Deprived Communities funding and additional funding has since been secured to allow the channel to run for a further 12 months. A group of 30 new learners will be working on producing more videos and articles for LATV including ‘ Mission Impossible: The Fish and Chip Assignment’ promoting independent travel.

The project has really enhanced the skills and abilities of those who took part, encouraging learners to make independent and group decisions, building confidence and enabling their voices to be heard. The channel is live and can be viewed here|.

For additional information about LATV or to take part in the project contact Dave or Paul on 07876 132 584

 

Family Learning Impact Project- Final Report Executive Summary

In December 2007, Gateshead Council was successful in applying for a three year project to carry out intensive Family Learning through the Family Learning Impact Fund

The project targeted Gateshead parents and carers from families suffering multiple issues and was tasked with

• increasing the take-up, progression and achievement of families suffering multiple issues
• increasing the educational attainment of children and their parents living in deprived neighbourhoods
• improving the capacity of Family Learning to support those with greatest need
• building the capacity of the Family Learning workforce, including training for volunteer
• support the establishment of numeracy champions

The Gateshead Family Learning Project established an entry point to ensure wider support for families, so that families facing difficulties like worklessness, relationship difficulties, poor housing, crime and anti-social behaviour or substance abuse could be encouraged to:

• take up learning
• achieve and progress in education and training
• improve their quality of life, health and wellbeing.
• increase the employability skills and improve the route way into employment

Gateshead Council Adult Learning and Skills delivered the following outcomes for learners over the 3 year project. 

New learners engaged 313

Children who participated in learning 427

Men who were engaged in learning 60

Learners who progressed onto further learning 82%

Learners who progressed into employment either paid or voluntary 62%

Percentage gaining a level 1 and/or 2 qualification in literacy and numeracy 53%

Gateshead Family Learning Impact Project was identified as a successful project by the Skills Funding Agency and attracted additional funding from claw back from less successful local authorities projects in years 2 & 3

FLIF was a three year programme that ended in March 2011. No funding has been agreed for future years. 

Note:

Family Learning is part of the Learning and Children Directorate and engages the most disadvantaged people in our communities and offers progression routes into further learning. Gateshead Council Family Learning is an outstanding provider of learning opportunities for families specifically those who are hard to reach or at risk. Family learning will seek to engage hard to reach families and to deliver the 5 every child /adult matters outcomes for children and parents with a focus on educational achievement, progress and progression. We continue to meet individual needs and deliver high quality learning opportunities to parents and their children through our SFA Safeguard Contract and are trying to identify additional funding to allow us to continue to deliver our more intensive programmes.

Learning and loving it!

Hidden Talents Revealed Behind the Mask

When it comes to being creative and revealing hidden talents, look no further than Rose Furlonger’s mask making class at the Lyndhurst Centre.

Ten local people – all with learning difficulties – have been working with their tutor to create masks and models; with the end results coming together in an exhibition at the Dryden Centre next month.

African art, Venetian carnival masks and fairy masks inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ have been made in a class that not only taps into the student’s creativity but has other positive effects as well.

Tutor, Rose Furlonger who has taught mask making and theatre design for over 30 years, explained: “Not only is the class very enjoyable and sociable, it brings out new skills and talents that the students didn’t know they had and which they share with each other. It improves confidence and can really take people out of themselves.

“Continuing to learn and challenge yourself is something we should all do – and this class proves that perfectly.”

The work of Pauline, Steven, Christine, Lynn, Brian, Elizabeth, Mark Andrew and Gillian can be viewed at the State of the Art Building, Dryden Centre from 23 July until 1 September, 10am – 4pm Mon-Fri.

For information on adult learning classes in your area visit our website: www.gateshead.gov.uk email: |adultlearning&skills@gateshead.gov.uk| or phone: 0191 433 8646. email: or phone: 0191 433 8646.

 

Ladies Learn to do it for Themselves!

A group of ladies have taken the old adage that “ if you want a thing done well, do it yourself” one step further… by enrolling on a 10 week course in construction skills.

The course, entitled ‘Construction for Women’, was specifically designed for women who are keen to learn basic woodwork, plastering and bricklaying skills, and is Gateshead Council’s response to the large number of calls it receives from women asking where they can learn how to do-it-yourself.

As the Council was unable to offer the course itself, it approached Leamside Services of Pelaw , a local company which provides training for the building and construction industry, who helped the Council to devise a 10 week programme on basic joinery, bricklaying and tiling aimed specifically at ladies.

As a result, two all-day courses were offered at Leamside’s premises in Pelaw  - and all 20 places were snapped up almost immediately! One of the successful applicants was 85 year old Judith Hepple who enrolled on the course just so she could learn how to fix her front wall.

Now, with a further 20 women already on the waiting list, plans for further courses are now being made – possibly including, by popular request, an evening course which working women could attend.

Councillor Angela Douglas, Cabinet member for Learning and Children, says: “The response to this course has been amazing.“

“We have been getting calls from women asking to learn DIY and construction skills for quite some time, but there didn’t seem to be anyone capable of delivering such a course. So we approached a local construction training organisation based in Pelaw and they agreed to create a series of courses specifically for women.

“Such has been the demand that we are hoping to run further courses in the future, providing we can find the necessary funding.”

The ‘Construction for Women’ course is currently funded through Gateshead Council’s Neighbourhood Learning Deprived Communities funding, which the Council receives from the Skills Funding Agency. This fund is designed to help people into learning opportunities who would not usually take part and assist those marginalised from learning due to reasons of geography, gender, finance and personal circumstance.

For further information about the ‘Construction for Women’ courses, contact Melanie Bancroft, Curriculum and Community Learning Manager on (0191) 433 8704.