WIREDGOV

Voluntary adult learning organisations in Scotland are to receive a share of more than £685,000 from the Scottish Government to help maintain their Scottish headquarters and support training of their own staff.

Eleven organisations will receive a share of more than £679,000 to help maintain their headquarters so that they can continue to promote and provide adult learning throughout Scotland. The biggest grant of £282,574 will go to the Workers Educational Association, the largest voluntary sector provider of community and workplace based adult education in Scotland, delivering around 1000 courses in more than 300 locations.

A further £6,184 is being a allocated to four organisations for staff training, including £2,204 to the Workers Education Association, £700 to Dyslexia Scotland, £1,530 to LEAD Scotland and £1,750 to Learning Link Scotland.

Keith Brown, the Minister for Schools and Skills said:

"The voluntary sector plays a key role in delivering adult education in the community, supporting the Scottish Government's aim to create a lifelong learning culture in Scotland and build a smarter, wealthier and fairer nation.

"The grants we are announcing today will help voluntary organisations continue to promote and provide adult learning throughout Scotland by enabling them to maintain their national headquarters and also provide further training for their own staff.

"This will help ensure that they can continue to support adult learning across the country, helping individuals to develop the skills they need to reach their full potential, get into work and stay in work and to contribute to Scotland's future economic recovery."

Joyce Connon, Scottish Secretary of the Workers' Educational Association Scotland, said:

"The Scottish Government grant to WEA Scotland provides essential support to the Scottish Headquarters of the organisation."

John Ireson, Director of Skill Scotland, said:

"The funding given to Skill Scotland will improve the life chances of disabled people, by supporting them to achieve their full personal potential in lifelong learning, training & employment."

The detailed grant allocations for 2009-10 are as follows:

Headquarters grants:

• Discovery Award Association (Scotland) £5,000
• Dyslexia Scotland £38,000
• LEAD Scotland £116,354
• Learning Link Scotland £60,948
• Scotland's Learning Partnership £21,100
• Scottish Pre-Retirement Council £15,000
• Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) £21,388
• Scottish Women's Rural Institutes £38,500
• Skill Scotland £52,871
• Workers Educational Association £282,574
• World Development Movement £27,370
• TOTAL (Headquarters Grants) £679,105

Staff training grants:

• Dyslexia Scotland £700
• LEAD Scotland £1,530
• Learning Link Scotland £1,750
• Workers Educational Association £2,204
• TOTAL (Training Grants) £6,184

GRAND TOTAL £685,289

The Discovery Award Association (Scotland) - The Discovery Award is similar to the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme but for the over 50s. Participants undertake challenges to learn more about themselves, discover new talents and rediscover old ones. There are gold, silver and bronze awards available in four sections: hobby or interest, physical recreation, journey of discovery and service in the community.

Dyslexia Scotland provides information, advice, training and support to dyslexic adults and children, parents of dyslexic children, professionals from a range of sectors, employers and others who work in the field of dyslexia. As well as its national office in Stirling, Dyslexia Scotland has a network of branches which provide local support and an adult network that meets quarterly.

LEAD Scotland's vision is of a Scotland where disabled people and carers of disabled people achieve their full potential. It aims to empower them and their carers to make well informed choices and engage confidently in learning, provide individualised support for learning, combat exclusion from learning and inform and influence the development of policy and learning provision.

Learning Link Scotland is the national intermediary for voluntary adult learning organisations in Scotland, working to support and represent a membership of around 100 voluntary adult learning groups and organisations based in 24 local authority areas. Member organisations provide a range of community learning opportunities (for almost 70,000 adults in 2007-08.

Scotland's Learning Partnership is a partnership between adult learners and adult learning providers. Activities are focussed on supporting those who have had least chance to participate in lifelong learning. SLP's overarching aims are to encourage and support new learners who do not traditionally participate in learning and support learning providers to share good practice and make improvements where necessary.

The Scottish Pre-Retirement Council provides training for employees who are planning to retire in a few years, helping them look forward and see retirement as a new opportunity. The courses provide information regarding state pensions, savings and investments, volunteering, health issues and many other relevant topics.

The Scottish Trades Union Congress supports a broad range of activities to build capacity within the trade union movement, particularly among excluded and disadvantaged groups, and offers support and guidance to workers who may face discrimination or barriers to progression. It also undertakes developmental work with a wide range of external bodies.

The Scottish Women's Rural Institutes has its headquarters in Edinburgh and more than 21,000 members in institutes throughout Scotland. Members are given the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities e.g. handcrafts, cookery, floral art, art, drama, choirs; classes, demonstrations and tests and annual, residential summer school.

Skills Scotland helps disabled people take up opportunities for post-school education, volunteering, training and employment. It offers a free information and advice to disabled people and their families/carers. It also guides organisations on improving their practice and provision for disabled people and provides comprehensive information via its website and publications.

The Workers' Educational Association is the biggest voluntary sector provider of community and workplace based adult education. It has attracted 14,000 enrolments on around 1000 courses, delivered in more than 300 locations throughout Scotland. Programmes fall into the following categories: Social Studies, Community Arts, Liberal Studies, Community Training and Return to Study. In many Local Literacy Partnerships, WEA will take the lead in providing workplace based literacy and numeracy learning.

The World Development Movement's World-wise builds capacity among adults in Scotland, often affected by issues of deprivation, to advocate for positive international development in solidarity with poor countries. World-wise staff provide workshops, peer-leader training and resources to enable community and adult learning organisations to develop their knowledge and skills in this area.

To be considered for a grant, an organisation must be able to demonstrate its ability to address the learning needs of communities in relation to social inclusion, lifelong learning and active citizenship. It must also be a national organisation in Scotland, in both its activities and membership.

Related Information

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/15300