Community Learning Forum
The East Hampshire Community Learning Forum first met in March 2003 and now meets quarterly. The forum provides the ‘Voice of the Learner’ to the East Hampshire Community Partnership.
Life long learning priorities and opportunities involving the local voluntary and community are identified at the forums. The forum work collaboratively to address life long learning issues. To date some of the topics discussed have been: adult education in East Hampshire, project funding, 14-19 year old issues, marketing the Learning Centres in East Hampshire, Leisure Learning and most recently Family Learning and Information Technology in the community.
The forum reflects the widest possible range of individuals and representatives of voluntary and community groups, Trainers and course participants, Local Councils, Schools, Colleges, Libraries, Community Schools, Agencies, Primary Care Trust and many others, to ensure that all needs and views contribute to decision making.
Learning round up - Getting to know what we do
Here's a round up of some of the fun and formal courses available at a wide range of local learning centres in East Hampshire. Many offer courses during day and evening, to suit individual needs.
Alton College
Alton College provides further education for 14-19 year old's, including A level courses and the International Bacalaureate. Adult learning includes vocational courses with subjects including child care, health and safety, teaching and training Languages, Maths and English for adult returners. Business training and bespoke training courses can be tailor made to company requirements. For more details and a directory please contact Alton College, Old Odiham Road, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 2LX, tel: 01420 592200 or email: enquiries@altoncollege.ac.uk.
Alton Community Centre
Alton Community Centre provides a wide selection of courses from art for all, to modern languages and parenting skills. The centre is also home to many local clubs and societies. More information is available from Alton Community Centre, Amery Street, Alton, Hampshire GU34 1HN, tel: 01420 85057, email: altoncc@btinternet.com
Community First East Hampshire supports, informs and develops community groups and encourages volunteering for all. Our service is free, informal and accessible.
Community First Training provides a variety of subsidised workshops and tasters for voluntary and community groups throughout East Hampshire. Subjects include: computer packages (for example, Basic Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher, website and email skills), personal safety and lone working, health and safety, risk assessment, food hygiene, management skills for committee and trustee roles, first aid, funding for community projects, train the trainer, minute and report writing skills, personnel issues, and many more. For programme details contact Liz Moore - Training Co-ordinator, tel: 01730 710017, email: training@communityfirst-easthampshire.org.uk
Library Learning - Five week computer courses (two hours each week) are run at several branches and cover introductory sessions on computers and word processing, plus email and the Internet. Many libraries also offer subjects from card-making sessions, to holiday French, and English courses for speakers of other languages. All these courses are run in a friendly informal atmosphere by patient, mature tutors. To find out what's available at local libraries please visit the website at www.hants.gov.uk/library
Liss Triangle Centre is a busy and vibrant place to meet and its doors are open seven days a week from 9am-11pm. Activities range from baby slinics to over-60 clubs and gentle chair exercises for senior citizens. Cinema night is held on the third Saturday of the month. the hall and classrooms can be booked for children's parties or family celebrations. The centre office (open Monday-Friday 9.30-12.30pm) offers photocopying, laminating and ring-binding documents. There is also access to the internet and an IT Centre available for hire. For more information call Vanessa Beech, Centre Manager on 01730 301000, email: lisscommunity@btconnect.com
The Phoenix Theatre & Arts Centre
The Phoenix Theatre & Arts Centre in Bordon, offers a wide range or learning opportunities in visual and performing arts, both at the centre and in the wider community. Current activities include leisure courses, children's classes, specialist courses for people with disabilities, and confidence building for people returning to work. Learners from a number of courses participated in the Bordon and Whitehill Arts Festival 2007 through performance and exhibitions of work. Plans are currently being developed to offer family learning courses in arts and crafts and storytelling. For more information contact The Phoenix, Station Road, Bordon GU35 0LR, tel: 01420 472664, email: info@phoenixarts.co.uk
Winton House Centre
Winton House Centre for Age Concern computer classes for over 50's, 1:1. We also run English for Speakers of Other Languages on a Monday afternoon. Some non-vocational language courses, e.g. French, Spanish, German or Italian through Alton Community Centre are held here. Email: winton_house_centre@btinternet.com or phone 01730 266046 between 10am and 4pm. Venue: Winton House Centre, 18 High Street, Petersfield
Workers' Educational Association (WEA)
The WEA is a national organisation founded over 100 years ago. In pursuit of its commitment to lifelong learning the WEA gives people the chance to study in depth which they may not have been able to do since school or college days. The Petersfield branch of the WEA provides a wide range of coursesover a series of lectures with qualified tutors, all of whom are skilled in making their subject appealing. Classes usually last for two hours and most courses run over ten or twenty weeks. Courses vary from term to term and areas covered include literature, history (including local history), art and art history, music, astronomy, geology and much more. We aim to promote a friendly, non-threatening learning environment and are keen to emphasize the social aspects of learning. For further information and programme details contact Anne Langton (allangton@yahoo.co.uk, 01730 890184) or Sheila Dainton (sheila.dainton@ntlworld.com, 01730 300614) or go to www.wea.org.uk.
More Information
Anyone who is interested in training, education and lifelong learning can attend forum meeting which are usually held at EHDC's offices in Petersfield. Now that you know a bit more about the Forum, come and join us for the next one - for more details contact:
Mike Wickenden, Hampshire County Council – tel: 01962 846007
Liz Moore, Community First East Hampshire – tel: 01730 710017
Lucy Soal, East Hampshire District Council - tel: 01730 234185