Phase 2 Open Funding Round - May 2025 - LIVE

WEA (Workers Educational Association) and GMCA (Greater Manchester Combined Authority) are pleased to launch a small open funding round, across 2 strands, for the GMCA Community Grants Programme. 

This will enable local VCSE organisations and Housing Associations to bid for funding to carry out projects in localities, to mobilise disadvantaged or excluded unemployed and inactive people to enable their progress towards further education and inclusive employment. Please ensure you comply with the relevant local authority funding cap for applications as detailed and your overall community grant application can be no higher than £100k .

There are two funding strands open for application, click on the one most relevant to your organisation to check your eligibility and apply.

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact us at [email protected]. 

The application deadline is 5pm on Friday 13th June 2025.

Physical and mental wellbeing is key for success in both workplaces, and local communities.

Ensuring that people have the skills and tools to manage their own mental wellbeing in the workplace or home life, is critical.

Whether you are looking at ways to improve employee wellbeing or you're trying to improve the health of members of your community, the WEA is here to help.  

Local authorities

Cumbria County Council contacted the WEA to discuss how we might help them deliver their Multiply programme. We devised an asynchronous course designed to improve Numeracy ”by stealth” with modules on the cost of living and wellbeing.
 

Housing associations

The WEA has worked with Clarion, the largest Housing Association in Europe for over five years supporting tenants to improve their digital skills.
 

Subcontractors

White Rose Beauty College, an Ofsted outstanding provider have been subcontracting with the WEA out of the Central Manchester College of Health and Beauty delivering complimentary health qualifications for several years as part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Adult Education Budget contract.
 

Companies and corporates

Lloyds Banking Group spent five years as an Employer Partner of the WEA as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility pledge to provide volunteers and financial support. Danone invested in the WEA to ensure a legacy for their HEY programme. The WEA converted the programme designed to support healthy eating for children and families into online delivery.
 

Further Education colleges 

Skills and Education Group came to the WEA to help pilot their Level 1 Award in Workers’ Rights and Labour Exploitation which we have gone on to deliver as part of our core curriculum. 
 

Voluntary organisations, charities, CICs or Social Enterprises

Clear Voice, the trading arm of Migrant Help, commissioned the WEA to deliver a Community Interpreting pathway to support Migrants to become Community Interpreters. 


If you wish to discuss your needs further, then please complete the webform below and one of our partnerships team will get back in touch.

A WEA near you: the WEA branch network extends right across England. These branches play a crucial role in spreading the important adult education message.

In Scotland, our local associations bring adult learning within reach in Scottish communities.

From tens to hundreds of learners attending courses each and every month, each of our branches is unique in what it offers, with a wide range of subjects delivered by experienced, knowledgeable tutors, both in local venues and online.

WEA branches near you: a local learning community

Each branch also provides crucial support to the community it serves. Our branches act as a meeting place for people to come together over a shared interest (or, over the enjoyment of learning something new). Our courses also become somewhere for learners to chat to each other and relax in a supportive, caring environment.

Special interest branches

There are also a number of themed branches, each focused around a key topic, such as our Trades Union Branch or our green branches, of which there are several around the country. These branches meet regularly to discuss issues impacting society such as workers rights and climate change.

Where is my local WEA branch or local association?

Check out the map below to find your nearest branch or Scottish local association. You can zoom in and out to find a branch near you. Please note the map pins represent the geography of the branch as opposed to the exact location of any venues or buildings the branch use.

You can also click the icon in the top left-hand corner of the map to see a list of branches broken down by their geographical region.

You’ll find the contact details for the branch on the map pin (if available), as well as a link to the courses that are taking place within the branch setting.

Since 1903, our charitable mission has been to see that no adult is denied access to education on the basis of social, economic or personal disadvantage. We aim to teach a broad range of topics to individuals all across the country, both online and in local venues, ensuring that our educational resources are available to anyone that wants them. 

However, in order for us to continue our work and reach more people, we need your help. 

Provide the tools to change someone's life: make a donation today.

If you would like to help us in our work, you can donate to the WEA in the following ways: either as a one-off donation or by setting up a regular donation. This can be done through a direct debit or recurring card payment via our JustGiving page.

Even a modest donation can make all the difference. Thank you. Click below to visit Justgiving.

If you wish to make a donation by cheque, you can post them to:

The WEA Sales Ledger Team
Membership/Donations
First Floor, Coach Works
21 The Calls
Leeds
LS2 7EH 

Learn more on our Gifts in Wills page.

If you would like to speak to us about an existing legacy gift, please contact [email protected].

The WEA learner handbook has all the information you need to succeed: think of it as your one-stop guide to learning with the WEA.

We want you to have an enjoyable time with us. In our handbook you will find details about what to expect from your course as well as what we expect from you.

We will help and support all our learners as much as possible. Please talk to your tutor is there is anything we can do to help or view our help and support pages here.

We hope your learning experience with us will be exciting and stimulating!

You can also download the below resources, which you might find useful:

E-safety poster
E-safety: learning online with the WEA
E-safety: learning with Canvas poster
Our common values poster
Run hide tell poster
What next? poster

Courses for your local community

WEA delivers community learning for adults across both England and Scotland, with the help of our growing network of community partners.

These local partnerships help us deliver what developing communities need and want to continue to flourish and grow.  

We focus on delivering real outcomes for adults to build resilient local communities, developing and strengthening them for future generations to come.

Because of our adult learning funding, our courses are often free to many of our learners (you can find out here about eligibility for individuals).  

Our community links are important to the successful delivery of our face to face and online courses.  Community groups use WEA tutors and staff to help meet local needs, and fulfil community projects. 

Partners across England

WEA work with over 450 partners and community organisations and reach over 28,000 learners every year.

We have over 100 funded education contracts.

They range from large scale projects working with adults facing multiple disadvantages to small projects working with local delivery partners. Regardless of the size, we are with you every step of the way. 

If you wish to discuss your needs further, complete the webform below and one of our partnerships team will be back in touch.

By working together, we can help to reach people in the heart of your community and make a difference to those who need it most.   

Our partnership can identify and develop opportunities and progression routes for all adults facing disadvantage, whether that is employability skills, numeracy, English, digital skills, ESOL, or health and wellbeing through to arts and crafts.   

Looking to improve your local area? The WEA can help. Get in touch today.

The WEA offers a unique approach to help you train, recruit and develop your staff.

We are a registered charity and largest voluntary sector provider of adult education in the UK. We work with local and national employers to help our local communities grow.   

Closing the skills gap

We know that high-quality education can help close the skills gap. We take a flexible approach to develop courses that get people ready for work and meet your specific recruitment needs.

We also offer courses to support your existing staff in skills development and wellbeing.  We teach in places that others can't reach, both on your doorstep and online.

If you wish to discuss your needs further, then please complete the webform below and one of our partnerships team will get back in touch.

Recruiting staff

We know how important it is to recruit the right people, with the right skills. We offer innovative programmes to help people develop core skills to work in your sector.   

We work with you to recruit people with the right skills by creating a sector-based work academy programme (SWAPs) for your business.

We provide a tailored skills training programme for potential recruits. Once they have completed the training, they can take a voluntary placement or interview with your business.

This enables you to select the best candidates for your needs.   This puts developing the right skills in the heart of the hiring process and helps you find the right employees from the start. 

Developing your staff

Improving the skills of your staff makes a better, happier workforce.

Taking the time to develop your staff can close the skills gap as your business changes without having to recruit new staff. Taking the time to upskill and reskill your staff is a great way to keep employees engaged. 

The WEA works with you to help identify the skills in your workforce. We can then create a training and development programme tailored to bridge the skill gap.  

We offer a wide range of courses to develop your staff, including:  

• health and safety 
• teamwork
• digital skills 
• time management 
• literacy and numeracy 
• ESOL 

We offer a wide range of sector-specific qualifications in health and social care, retail and hospitality, education, childcare and business administration.   

Speak to us today and discover how we can work together to meet your staff development needs.

Retaining your staff

Retaining talented staff is fundamental to any good business as high staff turnover is expensive.

Improving staff mental wellbeing and promoting personal development are essential in staff retention. Our courses improve staff wellbeing and give them professional development opportunities.  

If you want to know how to keep staff motivated, work with us to create a programme of employee development.

Demonstrating that employee learning is important creates an environment where your staff will thrive rather than leave. 

To help your staff take the next step, we offer courses to advance digital skills and leadership courses up to ILM Level 3 Diploma in Leadership and Management.

Whether you want to upskill your current workforce or improve mental wellbeing or stress awareness, our courses will help. 

Read our case study with Bilstein Group.

We have long-held successful partnerships with job centres and other organisations that help jobseekers find work.

Our partnerships help unemployed people across the UK get back into work, and off benefits.

Adult education for jobseekers

We are a registered charity and the largest provider of adult education in the voluntary sector in the UK.

We have a proven track record of providing support for long-term unemployed, people returning to the workforce and people with disabilities. 

Expert tutors

Our supportive tutors are experts in creating accessible and impactful courses for jobseekers.

They will tailor them to the needs of your jobseekers and local employers.

Our courses are developed and delivered by tutors from your local community, so they understand your local needs and local labour market too.   

Courses that work for you

From Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) and accredited courses, to courses that build confidence, mental wellbeing, and work skills.

Our approach is flexible and we respond quickly, which will help you achieve positive outcomes for your clients. You can book individual clients or groups onto courses, or partner with us to create a bespoke programme for a group of clients.
 

If you wish to discuss your needs further, please complete the webform below and one of our partnerships team will be in touch.