WEA London Region

The WEA runs around 500 courses each year across London. We face challenges and opportunities being based in, and working for, a major capital city. Prosperity is often nestled in areas of high level deprivation, making for a varied and demanding agenda. Our foremost challenge, as always, is to continue to fulfil the WEA’s mission of working with the vulnerable, the disadvantaged and those seeking another chance to achieve in the field of education and training. In this, we are proud to say, we have over 90 years success.

Our work contributes to numerous government objectives in areas such as health and wellbeing, social cohesion and addressing multiple disadvantage as well as the direct educational outcomes. These examples show the diversity of our work in London:

What we have on offer:

• We deliver a large and varied Trade Union programme ranging from employment law to health and safety to conflict management.

• We offer Community Interpreting courses through local authorities and community groups, enabling people to gain sustainable employment as interpreters and empowering whole groups and communities.

• Kalayaan is an example of a local group that we work with, it provides advice, advocacy and support to migrant domestic workers who face multiple disadvantages. We provide English and citizenship classes, which help domestic workers gain independence, know their rights and access services.

• We are working with the MOD and the Ghurkas to enhance their contribution and that of their families to London life.

• One disadvantaged group we are continually engaging with are homeless people. We deliver many successful courses particularly around media and IT, thereby contributing to the digital inclusion agenda.

• Our learners are from all walks of life and all ages. Currently we are working with Black Elders groups on art projects, running Wii fitness courses in care homes, and we have recently run courses on counselling skills for barbers and hairdressers.

• We train staff in Domestic Violence units; we contribute to the training of volunteers for the Citizens Advice service, and our work with other third sector organisations has had a further boost recently with our involvement in the Initial Teacher Training project for the Voluntary sector, where we are giving opportunities for those in the voluntary sector to gain first rung teaching qualifications.

How we work

Although competition for limited resources and funding is fierce and is set to grow fiercer still, we have an advantage in our well established volunteer framework, which reflects local community and individual needs. This structure enables us to be flexible, and respond rapidly to changing circumstances and social needs. It is the reason we are able to offer a peripatetic service that covers the entire London area. We take learning to individuals, to communities and to neighbourhoods. We are able to design and tailor innovative courses with local networks, employers and partnerships, offering value for money for substantial and good quality education and training. We are matrix compliant and were graded 2 in our last OFSTED report.

The direction and development of WEA London Region comes from our team of volunteers, staff, members and learners. Contributions are made through regional governance, committees and meetings. This is local democracy in action, enabling our learners to shape our curriculum and agenda.

Who learns?

There were just over 6,600 enrolments in 2010-11 for our part-time courses in London. Statistics for the year show the reach of our provision and the diversity of our learners:

• 41% live in postcodes which indicate deprivation (as defined by the government)

• 26% did not have to pay fees for economic reasons (as defined by funders)

• 32% had qualifications below Level 2 when they joined their courses

• 37% were from a declared ethnic minority

• 13% had a  declared physical disability

• 4% had a declared learning disability 

Course subjects:

Where we work

Contacting WEA London Region

Our WEA office for London is based in central London.  You can view contact details here, visit the London Region website, or see a listing of local WEA branches here.  To find out about courses in these areas visit our online course search.