Funding for Adult and Family Learning
Courses In Sunderland
Find out how you can supply community based learning to
your service users
Are you interested in running community-based adult or
family learning courses for your service users? Sunderland Adult and Community Learning fund offer learning opportunities through their Lifelong Learning Community Development Fund. Since September, we have funded courses in Beginners Computing, Digital Photography, Holiday Spanish, Complementary Therapies, Easy Food from Around the World, Soft Furnishings, Jewellery-Making for Beginners and Seasonal Pop-ups. Other areas of learning that are eligible for funding include sport, recreation and leisure; dance; dramatic arts; health and wellbeing; hospitality and catering; and languages literature and culture - please see the attached guidelines for the full list. All our adult learning courses must be accessed by adults aged 19 years and over.
Family learning is where children and their parents/carers or grandparents learn together. Courses we have funded this year include Kiln-formed Glass Workshops, Pet Care, Healthy Planting, and Holiday Fun Learning Together – Halloween Extravaganza.
The amount of funding available varies depending on the kind of course you want to run. For the majority of courses the maximum level of funding is £25.00 per hour of delivery (as an example, the maximum funding available for a 20-hour course would be £25.00 x 20 = £500). Basic skills (English, Maths and ESOL – English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses can be funded to a maximum of £35.00 per hour of delivery (so the maximum available for a 20-hour course would be £700). Family learning courses can be funded to a cost of £32.50 per hour of delivery (max. funding available for a 20-hour course would be £650). Extra funding is available to support childcare and additional learner support costs. Successful applicants must comply with ACL’s quality assurance processes, which include the completion of learner and course documentation.
Adult and Community Learning hold a tutor database if any organisations need help to source a suitable course tutor.
The Lifelong Learning Community Development Fund application form and guidelines have been revised recently. If required, new applicants can be supported through the application process – please call Carol Reid for further information (details below).
Potential applicants to the fund are encouraged to attend their local lifelong learning forum. These informal meetings are an opportunity to network with local groups, to share information and best practice and to see what learning opportunities other groups are developing. Anyone is free to attend the meetings (new members are especially welcome) and refreshments are provided. The next meetings are being held on the following dates:
Anyone interested in attending the meetings or putting forward an application should contact Carol Reid, Project Officer for Participation and Inclusion at Adult and Community Learning. Tel: 0191 553 2620 or 07795 644641, email carol.reid@sunderland.gov.uk - I look forward to hearing from you.