WAES lands a hat trick at NIACE Adult Learners’ Week London Regional Awards 2009
The National Institute of Adults Continuing Education (NIACE) held their annual London Regional Award ceremony at the London Museum Docklands on 12th May. WAES fought off hundreds of nominations and secured one award in the Learning Through Language category and received two certificates of nominations. This is a great success and recognition of the students who have had to overcome many obstacles in order to accomplish their learning goals.
Learning through Language Award
Arline Firth
At the age of 92, Arline is one of WAES oldest learners, she is learning Greek and German at a highlevel. Arline is valued by her fellow learners for her cheerful disposition and determination to practice her languages through travelling and making friends. She values the contacts this helps her maintain: “Learning opens your mind to endless possibilities, helps you to make friends and understand better people from other countries”.
George Zhang, Director of SOAS Language Centre & London Confucius Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London sponsored the award after he was impressed with the range and power of the stories he heard from last years ceremony.
Group Award
Reaching U
The Certificate was collected by Sindi Hearn (WAES Community Partnership Worker) and Stuart Midgley (a learner on the Reaching U programme).
“I was absolutely thrilled to be receiving the certificate on behalf of all the staff and learners on the Reaching U programme who’ve made it a great success.” Says Sindi Hearn, WAES Community Partnership Worker.
Funded by Westminster City Council, Reaching U is a joint project between Age Concern Westminster, Open Age and Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES). It offers a wide range of activities and classes for the over 50’s in Westminster helping them maintain an active lifestyle.
“The benefit of the Reaching U programme is tremendous. It gives people like me the opportunity to get out of the house and acquire a new skill and at the same time meet new people,” says Stuart Midgley, a learner on the Reaching U programme.
Stuart Midgley, suffered a stroke four years ago and lost the use of his right arm, despite this he enrolled onto a ceramics course on the Reaching U programme and has embraced the challenge of only having the use of one arm.
Individual Learner Award
Kim Espirit
Kim successfully completed the First Steps into Childcare course at WAES. Despite having learning difficulties Kim managed to keep up with her studies and is planning to do level 1 in Childcare starting September.
“Kim is a joy to teach, she has great spirit and tremendous enthusiasm. Despite all the difficulties and learning barriers she has had to overcome she remains optimistic. When Kim first started the course she was unable to write a sentence but now she’s producing short essays, this is a credit to her sheer determination to succeed,” says Angela-Gordon Wright, Childcare Tutor at WAES.
