Community Learning Funding Opportunity: September 2018

WAES is looking to fund a range of small projects, each up to the value of £12,000, to the overall value of £150,000 to support learning within the local communities of Westminster and neighbouring boroughs. If you have an exciting, engaging innovative project that supports at grass roots level, please get in touch.

WAES is seeking projects to complement our existing offer and to assist us in meeting Westminster City Council’s new City for All strategy.

Westminster Adult Education Service’s key aims for this round of funding are below, with a key focus on course/activities /projects:

- Health and Wellbeing

- Digital Inclusion

- Civic engagement

- Older learners

- Upskilling or into employment

The objective is to deliver innovative non-accredited community learning programmes which will engage and encourage adults to move towards sustained employment, volunteering / work experience or further learning and will do one or more of the following:

Improve Quality of Life 

The primary objective of this round of funding is to improve the quality of life of people who visit, live and work in Westminster, thus promoting health and well-being across a range of activities.

• targeted activities promoting health and well-being for people at different life stages
• activities that promote non-medical means of improving well-being, such as exercise classes, yoga, arts and crafts, and cultural events
• activities that promote healthy eating, and making positive choices around risk behaviours (smoking, alcohol, substance misuse)
• Information, advice and guidance sessions for unemployed residents.

Improve Digital Inclusion: 

We are looking for innovative ways to promote digital inclusion across Westminster; these can be in the form of targeted workshops, IAG’s, courses or activities.

• targeted activities promoting digital inclusion for people at different life stages i.e. access to online skills and online services
• information, advice and guidance sessions focused on keeping safe whilst online or understanding why using the internet is relevant and helpful.
• activities that increasing confidence in using the internet and thus reducing the fear of crime, lack of trust or not knowing where to start online .
• activities for those who are socially and economically excluded to get online
• activities aimed at promoting digital literacy, increasing confidence in using new technologies and technical language.

Improve social inclusion for older learners: 

We are looking for ways of reducing social isolation and loneliness across Westminster; these can be in the form of targeted workshops, IAG’s, courses or activities.

• targeted activities promoting that reduced social isolation and loneliness for older people.
• activities for those who are socially and economically excluded from learning
• activities that increase health and wellbeing, thus increasing mobility and independence.
• Activities aimed at  promoting  or maintaining  active lifestyles and can contribute meaningfully to their families and society.

WAES's response to this will be to focus on delivery for Diverse Communities - We will ensure that we enhance the unique heritage of the City by utilising and celebrating the diversity of our communities, ensuring that all groups in our community have access to our programmes, focusing in particular on these priority groups:

• Homeless
• Older people
• Refugees
• BME groups
• People with mental health challenges
• Younger people (19+
• People with drug and alcohol challenges
• People with disabilities
• Families

Timetable/Key dates

Deadline for receipt of applications: Thursday 20^th September 2018, 5pm

Award of contracts: 28^th Friday September 2018, 5pm

Projects to start: By Monday 1^st October 2018

Small projects will be for a maximum of nine months to be completed by 31^st June  2019

Downloads

Community Learning Funding 18/19 information document

Project Proposal form 2018/19

How to apply

Download and complete the Project proposal 2018/19 form, above, and return it to communitylearning@waes.ac.uk

Please direct enquiries to communitylearning@waes.ac.uk