Community Learning Champions

Community Learning Champion schemes are showing the value of the local voice, rooted in experience and access to the community to which others can relate.

Who are Community Learning Champions?

Community Learning Champions in Bristol are people who become active in their community by promoting the value of learning to others - friends, relatives, neighbours, work mates or people they meet at the school gates, at the local shops or in groups or clubs.

Community Learning Champions Successes

• Worked on the Jobs Centre Plus bus to promote employment opportunities at the Cabot Circus retail area
• ESOL community consultation
• Parent strategy consultation
• Approximately 300 learners recruited and supported
• Facilitated digital story telling workshops

What are the benefits for Community Learning Champions?

Paid casual work
Free training
New skills to improve job prospects.

Quote from Ofsted survey report published September 2008:

In Bristol the work of the learning champions was a good example of the contribution of learning programmes to community renewal and cohesion. Learning champions came from the targeted communities, received good individual support and made good individual progress. They developed communication and presentation skills, gained accreditation and became involved with local community groups to actively support developments in their communities, for example children’s summer play activities, tenant association newsletters, community campaigns and helping parents to set up a community playgroup.

In Bristol, Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities funding was used well for training, supporting and employing learning champions.