A group of inspiring learners based in Lincoln have published their very own book of poetry highlighting some of the challenges and transformations they have experienced in life. 

Poetry An Interpretation of Life contains poems written by learners who attend the Ways to Wellbeing course led by tutor Patrick O’Reilly.  

The course supports individuals to overcome issues with mental health, self-confidence and trauma with referrals coming from mental health services and other organisations looking to improve the wellbeing of their clients. 

You might remember from last month’s newsletter our learners taking part in a local open mic night to read their poems to a live audience. It was such a success that they’ve been asked to take part in future events.  

Patrick said, “Our poems highlight some of the issues we face and show how we have become a close knit and supportive group that helps each other. We wanted to perform to show people how WEA wellbeing classes can help learners with personal issues, societal change and setbacks.” 

Poetry an Interpretation of Life can be purchased on Amazon as a paperback or Kindle edition. 

This month we're sharing another update on some of the latest courses that have been added to WEA Learn for the months ahead.  

In case you missed it, WEA Learn is our new programme of courses offered online via the Eventbrite platform. Currently we are offering art appreciation, history and literature courses and we hope to expand the range of subjects over time.  

More courses are being added regularly - follow us on Eventbrite so you don’t miss out! 

The first WEA Learn course was delivered on 22nd September. By the end of the month we had delivered 20 courses, and the feedback has been very positive to date; attendees rated the speakers 4.8 / 5 (96%), while both the atmosphere and activities were rated 4.5/5 (90%).  

Some of the comments from our learners: 

‘Thank you Caroline for a fascinating talk, I really enjoyed it and would like to do more if possible’ 
‘Fantastically interesting, I’ve been taking notes all the time’ 
‘So many pointers, I will enjoy applying them at my next art gallery visit’ 
‘Thanks everyone, what a great discussion’ 
 

If you want to book onto one of the courses to try them our for yourself, we have lots to choose from – here are a few of the newest courses, and you can explore the full range via EventBrite. 

 
Art Appreciation 

Victorian Art - Town and Country with Tim Stimson 
Weekly, starting Tuesday 4th November to Tuesday 2nd December, 2pm - 4pm.   
This five part course explores the vibrant and rich culture of Victorian Art - focussing on the Town and Country. Discover the techniques used in art, inspiring landscapes and cultural significance of countryside during a time of industrial revolution. 
Book here. 

Autumn in Art with Allen Fisher 
2 hour course, Monday 10th November, 10am-12pm 
Discover the beauty of Autumn in this vibrant two hour art appreciation course. You will gain a deeper understanding of the different modes and mediums used to present Autumn in art and join in an engaging class discussion. 
Book here. 

Street Art with Dr Abbie Cairns 
Weekly, starting Monday 17th November to Monday 15th December, 9am-11am 
Discover the vibrant charm of street art in this five part course. This course will explore the rebels and misfits of street art. Discover the social and political contexts that drive this unique form of expression, and journey into the vibrant world of an often overlooked art form. 
Book here. 

Five Centuries of Women Artists with Jolenta Jagiello  
Weekly, starting Monday 24th November to Monday 8th December, 7pm - 9pm.   
This three part course celebrates the achievement of women artists over time, highlighting their innovations, struggles and lasting contributions to art history. You will uncover voices that shaped artistic traditions over the past five centuries. 
Book here 

Literature 

Open Air: Climate, Nature and Landscape in British & Irish poetry - Part 2 with Simon Haworth 
Weekly, starting Wednesday 5th November to Wednesday 3rd December, 2:45pm – 4:45pm.   
This five part course explores how authors portray climate and nature in British and Irish poetry. We’ll look at a range of British and Irish poems across the ages that feature nature as a key theme. This course will help you discover how poets capture the power and mood of the British and Irish landscape. 
Book here.  

Exploring Identity with Clare Jackson 
Weekly, starting Thursday 6th November to Thursday 4th December, 10am – 12pm.   
This five part course will cover the intriguing theme of 'identity' across literature. From unreliable narrators, to complex characters, you will dive into the fascinating world of the human mind.  
Book here. 

Exploring Gothic Short Stories with George Cromack 
Weekly, starting Thursday 6th November to Thursday 4th December, 10am – 12pm.   
Discover the shadows of Gothic short stories in this five part course. Dive into eerie atmospheres, dark characters and unforgettable narratives.   
Book here 

The Golden Age of British Crime Fiction with Stephen Smith 
Weekly, starting Monday 10th November to Monday 8th December, 2pm – 4pm.   
Journey through time to the Golden Age of British Crime Fiction. Discover sinister plots, mysterious detectives and a gritty, dark Britain. This course will cover various iconic British crime writers, delving into the unpredictable world of detective fiction. You will interpret texts from iconic authors such as Agatha Christie, and discover the historical and political contexts that shaped these works of literature. 
Book here. 

Christmas courses 

The History of Christmas Dinner with Stephen Smith 
Tuesday 2nd December, 10am - 12pm (Morning course) 
Friday 5th December, 7pm - 9pm (Evening course) 
Get into the festive spirit with this two hour short course and discover the vibrant history of Christmas dinner. We are running this at different times of day, so make sure you choose your preferred time when booking. 
Book for the morning course. 
Book for the evening course. 

The Art of Christmas with Allen Fisher 
Weekly, starting Monday 24th November to Monday 8th December, 10am - 12pm (Morning course) 
Weekly, starting Wednesday 26th November to Wednesday 10th December 7pm - 9pm (Evening course) 
Discover the art of Christmas in this three part course, which will take you on a journey of festivities, through winter wonderlands and beautiful Christmas cottages. We are running this at different times of day, so make sure you choose your preferred time when booking. 
Book for the morning course. 
Book for the evening course. 

Literature: Christmas with Dylan Thomas with Stephen Smith  
Thursday 11th December, 2pm - 4pm 
Delve into the wonderous world of poetry from Dylan Thomas, author of iconic works such as 'Do not go gentle into that good night'. Explore his Christmas poetry collection to get into the festive spirit in this two hour short course.  
Book here. 

To explore the full line up, visit our Eventbrite page or browse our library of courses by topic:  

Art appreciation courses  
Literature courses
History courses
Christmas courses

Is Wikipedia one of the first places you go to find out about something? Would you like to learn how to contribute? 

The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) Highland Association has arranged for a trainer from Wikipedia to come to Inverness in the New Year. If you want to have a taster of what’s involved, sign up for one of our Taster sessions at Inverness Library: 

• Thursday 23rd October 2-4pm 
• Tuesday 18th November 2-4pm 

or send an email to [email protected] expressing an interest in hearing about the sessions in the New Year. 

What’s involved in the course? 

• The sessions in the New Year will be three consecutive weeks, 10am-4pm in Inverness Library. We ask people to commit to all three.  
• Basic computer literacy is strongly recommended. If your computer skills are not great, but you want to help draft content, we’ll try to pair you with someone who has computer skills but isn’t sure what topics they want to edit. 
• Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia, which means that all statements need to have reputable sources cited. So you need to have a good idea about footnoting. Check out some Wikipedia entries if you are unsure what this means.   
• By the end of our third session you’ll be boldly editing existing content and maybe even contributing something new! 
• And the course and taster sessions are free! 

There’s scope for people with various interests. It may relate to the topic or could be the presentation. Perhaps you want to make sure apostrophes are correct. Perhaps you want to ensure that records have summary boxes to make them easier to read. Perhaps you want to update a number of records with a newly published important source.  

People who edit on Wikipedia are also a community, and there’s an opportunity to become part of this, either online, in person or both. 

If you’re a member of a group who would like a taster session for your members who might be interested in the training, get in touch by emailing [email protected] and we’ll try to set something up. 

This project is thanks to a legacy from Ann MacInnes, former WEA Scotland Board member and supporter, with additional support from High Life Highland. We know she would have loved to have participated! 

New Finance & Capital Resources Committee Member 
The Governance Team is excited to welcome Trustee Amanda Woodvine onto the Finance & Capital Resources Committee as its newest member, recently endorsed by the Governance & Nominations Committee and the Board of Trustees. You can learn more about Amanda and other Trustees on our website:  
Profile of Amanda Woodvine | WEA 

Poetry Night 
Recently a group of WEA learners performed at a local poetry event in Lincoln, showcasing their personal work at a community open mic night.     

The class, led by tutor Patrick O’Reilly, couldn’t wait to take to the stage and share their poetry with others. Highlights included WEA award-winners Sarah Christopher and Pam Hangar sharing their prolific output, with Pam receiving lots of great feedback for her witty performance.   

The evening was a great success with proceeds going to Happy Days Children’s Charity, which provides support and guidance for children overcoming mental, physical and social issues.  

 A huge congratulations to Patrick and his incredibly talented learners!  

New Volunteer Opportunities at WEA in Whitehawk, Brighton 
We’re developing exciting new volunteer roles in the Whitehawk area, and we’d love WEA members to be part of it! If you’re local and interested in supporting your community, gaining experience, or getting involved with WEA in a new way, this could be for you. 

Interested in volunteering? Get in touch or keep an eye out for more details coming soon!  

Our member activities programme re-started in early September after the traditional summer break. Here's a quick recap of September's programme, with a look ahead to what is coming up in October. 
 

Stained Glass  
WEA tutor and stained glass artist Keira McLean delivered a talk about her work and specifically the project to create a stained glass window to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the miners' strike. With far fewer opportunities to learn the craft now, Keira also talked about the future of stained glass, both from the perspective of creating new work but also restoring and maintaining existing stained glass.  

What our members said: 

'Excellent Keira, Thank you such a great subject, especially our Social History & Herstory too.' 
'Fascinating you are a super inspiration, keep going.' 


Scotland Together 
The stained glass talk was followed by our latest Scotland Together meeting, for our members in Scotland. This is an opportunity for members in Scotland to connect with each other,  share news and ideas, and hear updates from Local Associations and WEA staff. Some at the Stained Glass talk enquired whether we offer similar events for members outside of Scotland. At present we do not, but we are looking at adding this if there is interest - please email [email protected] to let us know your thoughts! 

Baby Flo 
On 11th September, we welcomed WEA tutor Christopher Budd to deliver a talk about Florence Lawrence, who was a pioneer of the silent screen and widely celebrated as the first film star. As usual, the members asked many excellent questions and we all learned more about the early days of cinema and the emergence of stardom as a concept and a marketing tool. 

What our members said: 

'Thank you Christopher, always learn so much from your talks and courses!' 
'Thank you, Christopher. Your lectures are always superb, and this one is no exception.' 
'Really interesting talk on the development of early cinema.  Thank you.' 
 

Democracy and Free Speech 
To tie in with the International Day of Democracy, we welcomed WEA tutor Symon Hill to talk to us about Democracy and Free Speech. Symon is an author and tutor, regularly delivering courses for WEA, with a particular focus on history. He also writes for a range of publications on history, religion, peace, sexuality and activism. Symon provided a great introduction to the relationship between democracy and free speech, and drew on contemporary examples illustrating how the application of free speech often plays out unfairly in our media and legal system. It was a very big topic for an hour long slot, so we plan to revisit different elements of this subject in future events.

What our members said: 

'This has been one of the best talks, may we have more like this please?' 
'Really interesting and thought provoking talk, thank you.' 
'Thanks so much for this intelligent and balanced lecture,  more please' 

Creativity for Wellbeing: Poetry Workshop 
September's Creativity for Wellbeing session was a poetry workshop on the theme of the autumn equinox. Delivered by WEA tutor Ione Harris, we enjoyed a welcome poem, then explored a range of prompts, and many members shared their work in the chat. The feedback for this session was excellent and we had numerous requests for more member activities like this, so we will invite Ione back for another workshop in the new year.  Some of the members kindly gave permission for us to share their work and comments with you, so we are including a few examples below: 

What our members said: 

"This was a wonderful mindful pause in the middle of the day, that will ground my soul for days and weeks to come. Thank you very much." 

What's coming up in October 

National Poetry Day 
Looking ahead, this Thursday, 2nd October 5pm-6pm, we have another poetry themed talk in honour of National Poetry Day. Henry Bell will be joining us to read a range of poems and to talk about the importance of poetry, particularly in time of conflict and change.  
Book your free place here.  

World Mental Health Day 
Friday 10th October is World Mental Health Day, so we are opening up our monthly Creativity for Wellbeing session to all.  Book your place to come along for a mindful Doodle Art session with WEA tutor Nicky Tarlton-Weatherall. No experience needed, just come along and have a go and don't forget to invite your friends! 
Book your free place here. 

Get online week: Introduction to Social Media 
For Get Online Week, we have commissioned an extended 90 minute session for members. This will be an introduction to social media and will also look at how we can stay safe online. WEA tutor Ekta Vishrolia will be talking to us about some of the different social media platforms and how they vary. Following WEA on Social Media platforms and sharing our content is a great way to support the charity and also to follow what we are up so you don't miss out! Tuesday 21st October, 4pm-5:30pm   
Book your place. 
 

As always, look out for the latest talks listed at the bottom of each member lecture email.  Hope to see you soon!  

 Thursday 9th October is Tick the Box day, where charities including the WEA encourage supporters to sign up to the Gift Aid Scheme.  

By saying yes to Gift Aid, your donation goes up to 25% further, at no extra cost to you. That extra boost helps us support more learners. For example, with travel expenses to workshops and important events. We believe everyone deserves the chance to participate, connect and benefit from lifelong learning. But for some learners travel costs can be a barrier to those already facing hardship.  

As government spending in adult education reduces, maximising your membership donations enables us to do so much more. Your generosity fuels more than just our mission, it fuels a movement. Let’s make sure no one is left behind because of a train fare or bus ticket. With your help, we can open doors, bridge distances and bring people together.  

If you’re a UK Taxpayer, ticking the Gift Aid box on our membership renewal form allows us to claim an extra 25p for every £1 of your membership fee as well as any additional donations you give. 

In practice, this means that if you are a WEA member and a tax payer, by ticking the Gift Aid box WEA will receive £18.75 when you pay your annual £15 membership fee.  Even past membership payments and donations (up to four years back) can be claimed if you're eligible. 

If you pay higher-rate or additional-rate tax, you can also claim back the difference between the basic rate and the higher rate on your Self Assessment tax return which could reduce your own tax bill. 

If you don’t pay for your WEA membership online you might have missed out on ticking the box to apply Gift Aid. The good news is that you can make a Gift Aid declaration anytime. Get in touch with us at [email protected] and we can send you the forms.  

Make sure you pay tax in the UK and you have paid enough tax to cover the Gift Aid on your donations. For example, if you are giving donations totalling £100 over a tax year, as a basic rate tax payer you must have paid at least £25 of tax that year to apply Gift Aid.   

All donations, big or small, make a difference at WEA and your gift can go even further with Gift Aid. Thank you so much for your support! 

We’re thrilled to share some of the great work from our Kilmarnock team who have created an incredible garden for the benefit of their local community. 

This brilliant initiative provides a dedicated space where WEA and community volunteers grow fresh fruit and vegetables. The vast majority of the harvests are donated to a local foodbank, EACHa - East Ayrshire Churches Homelessness Action - making a real difference to the lives of the most vulnerable members of the local community. 

The garden is thriving with 14 raised beds and a fantastic polytunnel. The crops include beans, cabbage, carrots, dwarf kale, herbs, mizuna, plums, pumpkins, rocket, spinach, spring onions, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips… the list goes on!  

The team has also branched out to growing their own flowers. The colourful blooms don’t just help the garden look fantastic, they attract wildlife like butterflies, bees, and small birds, enriching the local ecosystem and creating a calming, natural haven. 

The Kilmarnock Community Payback Team has supported the team in keeping the garden looking its best, taking care of tasks like grass cutting, weeding, and trimming hedges. This has helped turn what was once an untidy entrance into an inviting and well-kept space, offering a warm welcome to everyone who visits the office.

"The dedication, creativity and care shown by everyone involved [in the Kilmarnock Community Garden] has transformed the space into something special - a genuine asset to the community. It's great to see how the team have created a space that promotes wellbeing, supports the local ecosystem and gives back through foodbank donations. The collaboration with the Kilmarnock Community Payback Team is another brilliant example of how this project is bringing people together and making a difference. Huge credit to everyone who has contributed. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for the garden and its community." Luke Cama, WEA's Director of IT 
_________ 

Alongside helping with community food poverty, our hope is that the garden will be a space for promoting wellbeing across the community; it can help people learn new skills, share knowledge, and build a sense of pride and accomplishment. 

If you’re interested in seeing what else the team and their volunteers can grow, it’s worth checking out the garden next time you’re near the Kilmarnock office. 

 No matter where you are based, please join the Facebook page to follow the progress of this brilliant initiative. And if you live near Kilmarnock, the team are looking for volunteers to help with the garden. Find out more on our Volunteering page.  

I’m writing this fresh from listening to Keir Starmer’s leadership speech at Labour Party conference in Liverpool. In our last newsletter, under the backdrop of rising racism across the UK, I wrote that everybody is welcome at the WEA. I want to reiterate that statement now and I welcome the Prime Minister’s remarks this afternoon.

The Prime Minister in his speech talked about a time for national renewal and the need for every child in Britain to get the best start in life. There is no denying this is an ambition we should all work towards. But I believe what will give children the best start in life is ensuring parents, grandparents and carers are equipped with the learning they need to navigate life and that’s what will ensure their child gets the best start. That’s why we will fight to make lifelong learning key to this government's key plans for growth in further education.

Ensuring lifelong learning is at the heart of FE’s growth will be a fight though. And we will need all of you to join us.

It’s fair to say that skills and their role in driving prosperity have never been higher on the political agenda, but it’s been disheartening to see the lack of recognition for the much wider role lifelong learning has on improving our lives and our communities. 

Whether having the skills to access NHS Online or rebuilding our public services, we must ensure adult community learning is seen as transformative as 16-19 vocational education.

Alongside my team, we are attending all of the major party conferences this autumn. One of my conference highlights was speaking at a roundtable of other skills and education experts convened by the LTE (Learning, Training & Employment) Group where I raised the point that so far devolution has reinforced narrow structures, particularly in adult education where it was almost entirely focused on skills for work. Further devolution and especially the move towards giving Mayors and Leaders greater say in how they spend their budgets, with fewer strings and pre-conditions, should also give them the opportunity to invest in lifelong learning for multiple outcomes - such as improving health & wellbeing or strengthening community connections.

Another real highlight this past month was getting all our core colleagues together for an away day at the Etihad Stadium. Now, as a Manchester United fan, I’ll admit, it pains me to say this, but the venue was brilliant. It gave us the space to come together, collaborate, and really think about our new strategy – which was signed off by the Trustees in August. 

The day, and the strategy underpinning it, was all about our radical return to not just provide learning, but to fight for it. To make sure everyone has access, no matter their background or barriers. I even got a taste of what that can feel like first-hand when I was thrown into a class where the first 10 minutes were entirely in Arabic. It was a clever way to simulate the ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) learner experience, and it really brought home how tough it can be to step into learning when you don’t understand what’s going on. 

We also explored how funding for adult learning is narrowing and looked at what we need to do to ensure there is a wide breadth of learning opportunities for all. 

I look forward to exploring this more with our members in the coming months and the part you can play to help us get there.

Simon Parkinson
WEA General Secretary & CEO

This month we're sharing a quick update on the newest courses that have been added to WEA Learn for October. As a reminder, WEA Learn is our new programme of courses offered online via the EventBrite platform. Currently we are offering art appreciation, history and literature courses and we hope to expand the range of subjects over time. More courses are being added regularly - follow us on EventBrite so you don’t miss out!  
 

Five Centuries of Women Artists with Jolenta Jagiello 
Weekly, starting Monday 20th October to Monday 3rd November, 7pm - 9pm.  
This three part course celebrates the achievement of women artists over time, highlighting their innovations, struggles and lasting contributions to art history. You will uncover voices that shaped artistic traditions over the past five centuries.
Book here
 

Art fakes, forgeries and copies with Jolenta Jagiello 
Weekly, starting Tuesday 28th October to Tuesday 11th November, 7pm - 9pm
This three part course will explore the fascinating world of authenticity in art. From famous forgeries and clever copies to debates over originality, you will investigate how value and meaning are shaped by questions of authorship, context and intent. Along the way, we'll uncover stories of deception, intrigue and discovery that continue to challenge the world of art today. 
Book here
 

Open Air - Nature and Landscape Poetry in British and Irish Poetry with Simon Haworth 
Weekly, Wednesday 1st October - Wednesday 29th October, 2:45pm - 4:45pm
In this five week course we'll explore how authors portray climate and nature in British and Irish poetry. This course will help you discover how poets capture the power and mood of the British and Irish landscape. 
Book here

We also have a collection of courses for Halloween, with more coming soon: 
  

Exploring Gothic Art with Allen Fisher 
Weekly, starting Tuesday 21st October to Tuesday 18th November, 7pm-9pm. 
This five part course introduces the dramatic world of Gothic art, from cathedrals and stained glass to sculpture and manuscripts. You will explore how the Gothic style shaped culture and how its influence continues to inspire awe and mystery today. 
Book here
 

Exploring Gothic Short Stories with George Cromack 
Weekly, starting Thursday 6th November to Thursday 4th December, 1pm-3pm
Discover the shadows of Gothic short stories in this short five part course. Dive into eerie atmospheres, dark characters and unforgettable narratives.  
Book here
 

To explore the full line up, visit our EventBrite page or browse our library of courses by topic: 

Art appreciation courses 
Literature courses 
Halloween courses 
History courses 

The first WEA Learn course was delivered on 22nd September. Look out for a review of the launch in our October newsletter.