WEA art tutor Nicky Tarlton-Weatherall curated an incredible exhibition of her learners' art for our 2025 Conference. We caught up with Nicky on the day to congratulate her and her learners on the incredible work they created in the course of their WEA studies. She explained the positive impact that the group has had on the learners - they have developed their artistic abilities, made lasting connections and friendships in their local community, and grown in confidence.   

One of the paintings on display at the Conference was selected as the image for the postcard project that we talked about in last month's newsletter. Hansa Patel, who painted the picture, has been attending Nicky's group for two years. She told me how much she enjoys the class and that she has made friends in the group as everyone is from the same area. 

Nicky shared a write-up showcasing an enrichment activity she organised for her Adhar group. Often these classes are people's route back to learning and they bring widespread benefits; our impact report (The WEA impact: our Impact Report | ) shows significant improvements in wellbeing, health and community cohesion when learners engage with WEA – and we can see this in practice in Nicky’s diary:

Adhar Wednesday Group – A Journey into Art 

This year, as part of our enrichment activities for the art course, we planned a special trip to the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery. The aim was to deepen our understanding of how to experience and interpret artwork—exploring texture, colour, and the emotional impact of a painting. This visit also tied into our course intent, which includes showcasing our own work at the London WEA Conference and gallery visits. 

Today, I had the privilege of taking a group of learners from the Adhar Project—an organisation that supports women with mental health and wellbeing. For many of the women, this was their first time stepping into a museum or viewing an art exhibition beyond the pop-up shows we hold at the end of each course. 

One woman shared, “I’ve lived in Leicester for 50 years and I’ve never been in a museum.”  

That moment captured the heart of the day. 

The group had a beautiful afternoon, engaging with the artwork, reflecting on how it made them feel, and discussing the techniques artists use to create their pieces. It was more than just a visit—it was an awakening to new experiences, perspectives, and possibilities. 

 Nicky Tarlton-Weatherall 

Earlier in June, the WEA Council, who are a Board Committee and report directly to Trustees, launched a nominations process for the following representatives to sit on Council: 

1. Local Advisory Panel (LAP) Members (5 seats)
2. Branch/Local Association Members (5 seats) and
3. Teaching Staff (3 seats) 

Nominations 

5 nominations for the role of LAP representative were received by the published deadline.  As there were the same number of eligible nominees as available LAP representative seats on Council, the nominations were not contested and there was therefore no need to undertake an election process for these seats. We received 1 nomination from a Branch representative and therefore this individual was also uncontested for a Branch/Local Association seat.  

Elections 

Teaching representatives had contested seats and elections were held in this category in July. As a result of the nominations process and teaching representative elections, appointments to Council will go forward to the Governance & Nominations Committee for endorsement before being considered by Trustees for appointment. 

Next steps 

All remaining vacancies on the Council will be publicised again in the next nominations round which is planned for April 2026. 

The governance team wishes to thank everyone who contacted them about standing, who nominated someone they know or themselves, and all the eligible teaching staff who voted in the teaching election. Representation on the Council is vital to the ongoing democracy and success of WEA.  

Congratulations to those who will take on their Council role from September 2025!  
 

Who has come forward to be appointed to Council in summer 2025? 

Local Advisory Panel seats (uncontested): 

• Gill Aldridge, East Midlands LAP
• Mo Green, Cambridge & Peterborough LAP
• Wayne Kyte, York and North Yorkshire LAP
• Peter Threadkell, Norfolk LAP
• Alison Warren, West of England LAP 

Branch/Local Association seats (uncontested): 

• Rosemary Mayes, Barnet Branch 

Teaching staff seats (as a result of the July 2025 election process)

• Irma Gough
• Veronica Hyde
• Nicky Tarlton-Weatherall 

What is the WEA Council? 

The Council is the chief stakeholder body, responsible for channelling the voice of Association Members to the Board of Trustees to assist in their decision-making for the organisation.  

The Council promotes democratic involvement of all the Association Members – including learners, volunteers and staff.  

There are 28 seats on the Council, split into: 

• 3 Trustees
• up to 5 Branch/Local Association volunteers ​
• up to 5 LAP representatives ​
• up to 5 learners, ​
• up to 3 teaching staff ​
• up to 3 non-teaching staff ​
• up to 4 co-opted individuals, representative of the wider charity and/or education sector 

You will have read in the June Communities Newsletter that three of the above categories (Teaching, LAPs and Branches/Local Associations) were recently open for nominations. Nominations for the remaining branch/local association seats, learners and non-teaching staff seats will open in April 2026. 

What does the Council do? 

• It ensures democratic engagement, maintaining the integrity, rights and benefits of Association Members.
• It supports learner voice activity, considering recommendations from the Local Advisory Panels, advocating for life-long learning.
• It gathers, considers and communicates stakeholders’ views to inform campaigns, strategies, and recommendations from the Board of Trustees.
• It oversees the planning, governance and formal business of association conferences.
• It ensures fair, inclusive and transparent election processes for Council (like this one!) and Association officers.
• It undertakes additional responsibilities as delegated by the scheme of delegation or the Board of Trustees.  

Key Information for successful Council nominees 

• Term: Up to 4 years (subject to annual review)​
• Meetings: 3 per year (1 per term), plus 1 joint meeting with the Board of Trustees​
• Support Provided: Training, mentoring, and system access 

More information can be found on the links below. 

Council Member Role Description  

WEA Council Terms of Reference  

This sounds great – how can I get involved in the future? 

Help shape the future of WEA by considering standing for nomination (or nominating someone you know who you think would be great at it) in the branch/local association; learner or non-teaching staff categories in spring 2026 – keep an eye on communications for further information nearer the time!  

In the meantime, we are always happy to hear from anyone who wishes to volunteer within another area of the WEA, either as a long-term governance volunteer such as on a Local Advisory Panel , or in another role, for example, offering in class support or helping out at WEA events.

If you would like to learn more about volunteering in WEA governance or have an informal chat about our roles, please contact [email protected]   

We look forward to hearing from you.   

Nusrat Hathiari, WEA's Head of Partnerships, tells us more about the pivotal role WEA is playing in supporting Afghan resettlement efforts across England and Scotland.  
 

"In partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Mears Housing, Ministry of Defence and local authorities, WEA delivers tailored education and integration support for Afghan nationals resettled under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). 

Working closely with Contract Relationship Managers (CRMs) and the Afghan Resettlement Teams, we provide induction programmes from the point of arrival. These include ESOL, Functional Skills, Driving Theory Test Practice, and awareness sessions on British values, workers’ rights, and gender equality. In Leicestershire and Lincolnshire, courses such as Community Interpreting and cookery for wellbeing have been in high demand, while in Crawley (West Sussex), over 1,000 Afghan nationals are expected to be supported through induction and core provision. 

By embedding itself within multi-agency networks, including the DWP and local councils, WEA ensures that education is part of a broader wraparound model of housing, employment, and wellbeing support. The aim is not only to educate but also to empower learners to navigate life in the UK, access work, and contribute meaningfully to society."

"WEA’s ambition is to become the preferred education provider for refugee support, nationally recognised for transformative, community-based learning. 

Inspired by this project, we invited WEA Conference attendees to write a message of welcome and support to our Afghan learners.  

To facilitate this initiative, we commissioned postcards featuring artwork by one of our WEA learners, Hansa Patel. Hansa's work was also showcased at the Conference exhibition. We will be running another feature on Hansa, her fellow learners and their tutor Nicky in our next newsletter. 

If you would also like to participate, please send your message to the membership team [email protected] and we will complete a postcard on your behalf."

The 2025 WEA Conference celebrated our learners’ creativity and gave attendees a chance to participate in creative sessions run by tutors.  

We were delighted to receive a poem from longstanding WEA member, volunteer and learner, Scilla Appleton. Scilla’s inspiration came from her participation in the 2025 WEA Conference and she has generously allowed us to reproduce her poem here. Thank you, Scilla!

Volunteers’ Week took place earlier this month (2-8 June) which gave us the perfect moment to pause and reflect on the incredible impact that volunteers make across the WEA. 

Volunteers bring energy, experience and commitment to so many areas of our work. They support learners, spread the word about our courses, strengthen our connections in communities, and help us create welcoming, inclusive environments. 

Volunteering is a partnership, and your role in that partnership matters deeply. By working, you're helping the WEA build a stronger, more connected learning community.

So again, we want to say a big thank you!

Here are just some of the wonderful volunteers we have the privilege of working with:  

David, LAP volunteer - “So much of the attention in educational discourse focuses on mainstream pre-19 education, and adults are often an afterthought. Volunteering for the WEA is a chance to advocate for this group, help provide access to vital learning opportunities, and positively affect change in my local area.” 

Denise, community reporter - "I like that the WEA champions continuous adult learning and facilitates it through its range of courses, events and volunteer programmes, which aligns with my own values of continuous learning and upskilling.

You have a chance to creatively explore and express what you enjoy and are good at, and there is flexibility to make use of your own ideas and ways of working."

Mandy, classroom assistant - “I've been volunteering as a classroom volunteer for two years now. I absolutely love working to support a brilliant teacher and the sociable, warm and friendly environment that comes with it.”

Mia, policy volunteer - "Volunteering with WEA allows me to give back to the community; life-long learning is so important, and it is something I have been fortunate enough to learn lots about through volunteering with WEA!" 

If you'd like to learn more about volunteering and to see what roles are available, click here.