North East ALW Award Winners 2007
Individual Award Winners
Patricia White, aged 53, from Spennymoor
Patricia was illiterate until her mid-30s. As a child she had
been kept at home to look after her siblings and rarely attended
school. Married at 23, any jobs she had over the years were in
factories or cleaning. She became adept at strategies to hide her
inability to read and write. And labelled ‘thick’ by others, she
felt very isolated. She became reclusive and overweight.
“My life was very closed,” she says. “I had no social life and
didn’t experience the world first-hand. I felt I wasn’t a good role
model for my children and I wanted more for them in life.”
For her the turning point was doing jury service – she discovered
that her voice mattered. She began jogging, lost weight and at 35
she gained the confidence to enrol on Numeracy and Literacy courses
at college. As her confidence grew she became involved in sport. And
learning to read and write led her on to other courses.
Since 1990 Patricia has notched up qualifications in Adult Literacy
and Numeracy, IT, a Diploma in Counselling, Bereavement Counselling,
Level 2 Certificate in Drug Awareness, and a summer university
programme in Critical Thinking Skills. She is currently taking a
degree in Psychology and counselling and aims to become a
professional counsellor.
Patricia has also worked as a volunteer with 10 and 11-year-olds
using play therapy, and mentored 16-year-olds in their transition to
FE college. “I want to find a way to go even higher in my education,
so I can become the educated woman my background never gave me a
hope of,” she says.
John Calver, aged 47, from Cleveland
John, a door supervisor, had had no formal education since
leaving school. Now he has gained qualifications to become a
lecturer at his local college, passing on his expertise to others in
the security industry. New regulations for door supervisors meant he
had to take a five-day course to get a licence from the Security
Industry Authority.
“I was annoyed at this requirement, but I had to return to learning
to keep my job,” he says. But it turned out to be a blessing in
disguise. Staff at Redcar and Cleveland College encouraged him to
take intensive five month training as a further education tutor. “I
found I had a natural talent for teaching,” he says. “My local
college supported me in getting a specialist qualification and I was
particularly proud when they offered me a part-time lecturers’
post.”
Throughout 2004 and 2005 John achieved level 2 National Certificate
for Door Supervisor, level 2 Certificate in Conflict Management,
level 3 Certificate for Deliverers of Conflict Management Training,
and City & Guilds Further and Adult Education Teacher’s Certificate.
Since then he has helped many others get jobs in the security
industry, and had a major influence on his locality as part of the
Government’s drive to improve the sector. Now he plans to develop
his own security training business to meet the demands of local
people in the industry.
Jim Welch, aged 57, from Crook, County Durham
Learning has opened up Jim Welsh’s world again after illness left
him blind and disabled. New computer skills have allowed him to
master specialist software. It has given him the confidence to use
the internet and communicate with others around the world. “Being
blind and using a computer is a big challenge to take on,” he says.
“I am extremely proud of all I have achieved.”
Jim has spent the last 15 years in a wheelchair after suffering a
spinal disorder. Then four years ago, a stroke left him blind. “My
world had totally collapsed,” he says. “It felt like a dark curtain
had been pulled down in front of me. “I felt very isolated and
depressed. What got me most was not being able to read and write.”
He taught himself to touch type, but had to get used to specialist
software and an adapted computer.
Two years ago he enrolled at the Crook Community Learning Centre,
where he completed and passed a City & Guilds starter module in
Microsoft Word, progressing to Level 1 Word Processing, which he
passed with distinction. He went on to pass Level 2, also with
distinction. With his new skills and regained confidence, he also
started a support group called Blind Life in Durham.
Jim says it has given him independence and confidence – he now
attends a local writers’ group. He wants to write to encourage
others. “I would like to develop my own website and publish a
talking book on my own experiences and achievements,” he says.
Ben Richardson, aged 21, from Cleveland
Ben was brought up in a very strict, orthodox Jewish community
where he was denied mainstream secular education, and where Hebrew
and Yiddish were the only languages spoken. He had had little
understanding or knowledge of English. Just before his 18th birthday
he broke away from his religion and community – he became determined
to learn English and integrate into society.
“I wanted to broaden my knowledge and decided to study by improving
my English and going on to GCSE and A Levels,” he says. Ben had to
learn to live independently, survive emotionally and gain
qualifications to make himself employable.
He joined Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Computing classes – he did so
well he soon found a job as a customer service adviser with BT. Soon
he was juggling his part-time job with demanding academic study. His
initial studies gave him the confidence to take a distance learning
GCSE course – he achieved five GCSEs after five months, then moved
on to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College.
He is currently is his second year, studying A levels in Economics,
Maths, German and Physics – he is predicted to get straight As and
has been offered a place to study Economics at Cambridge University.
Ben says: “For me learning is important for giving me a chance to
study and have the same opportunities as anyone else, despite the
fact that I came from a different background and was older than most
students.”
Sharon Ganley, aged 45, from Sunderland
Sharon was bullied at school and dropped out before she could
take any qualifications. Now after returning to learning in her 40s,
Sharon is doing what she always dreamed of – working with children
as a teaching assistant.
“I didn’t think I had it in me to go back to learning, even though
it was something that I desperately wanted to do,” she says. “I’m
proud of the fact that only a couple of years ago I was a cleaner
and now I’m working in a school as a teaching assistant. I’ve also
got qualifications that I never dreamed of getting.”
Sharon had always done voluntary work with her local community. But
whenever she tried to find a job, her lack of qualifications held
her back, and hit her self-confidence.
Then three years ago she became involved with Grow Your Own, a
project in Sunderland’s schools aimed at improving education,
training and job opportunities for parents. She began working in her
local Highfield Primary School as a volunteer while working as a
part-time cleaner.
Sharon has completed a range of training courses, including Family
Nurturing and Art & Display. She has achieved both Level 1 and 2
teaching certificate and is currently studying for Level 3.
She says: “I’ve always wanted to work with children and mow I’m
doing exactly that. I want to be here until I retire. I’d like to
continue what I’m doing – and I haven’t ruled out university.”
NOCN Regional Award Winner
Philip Scott, aged 35, from North Shields
Three years ago Phillip Scott felt his life was going nowhere. He
was unemployed with no skills or qualifications, his weight had
ballooned to 22 stone and he felt isolated and suffered from
depression.
Returning to learning has allowed him to transform himself. He has
lost nine stone and notched up a range of qualifications, giving him
real employment prospects, as well as making many new friends.
“My learning has helped me to achieve so much,” he says. “You would
not believe how different I feel – my self-esteem is incredible.”
Phillip was referred to Pyramid adult learning centre at YMCA North
Tyneside by the probation service, having endured a harrowing
adolescence which left him emotionally scarred.
He was new to the area and became very isolated and introverted,
with no friends or family.
But starting a learning programme made him realise that he was very
academic, despite having left school with no qualifications.
Within just 17 months he achieved the following qualifications:
Access to Further Education – Art & Media, Hospitality and Catering,
Business Administration and Retail, Access to Learning Level 1,
practical crafts Level 2, European Culture and Tourism Level 2,
Computer processing Level 2, Desk Top Publishing Level 2 and
E-learning.
He also achieved Drugs Awareness Level 1, English Level 2, and Maths
Level 2. Philip also won a year’s health and fitness club
memebership for his outstanding transformation.
His tutor Elaine Crompton says: “Philip really is a pleasure to
teach and a credit to himself. He is a shining example of Adult
Learning at its best.”
European Social Fund Individual Award Winner
Philip Scott, aged 35, from North Shields
Three years ago Phillip Scott felt his life was going nowhere. He
was unemployed with no skills or qualifications, his weight had
ballooned to 22 stone and he felt isolated and suffered from
depression.
Returning to learning has allowed him to transform himself. He has
lost nine stone and notched up a range of qualifications, giving him
real employment prospects, as well as making many new friends.
“My learning has helped me to achieve so much,” he says. “You would
not believe how different I feel – my self-esteem is incredible.”
Phillip was referred to Pyramid adult learning centre at YMCA North
Tyneside by the probation service, having endured a harrowing
adolescence which left him emotionally scarred.
He was new to the area and became very isolated and introverted,
with no friends or family.
But starting a learning programme made him realise that he was very
academic, despite having left school with no qualifications.
Within just 17 months he achieved the following qualifications:
Access to Further Education – Art & Media, Hospitality and Catering,
Business Administration and Retail, Access to Learning Level 1,
practical crafts Level 2, European Culture and Tourism Level 2,
Computer processing Level 2, Desk Top Publishing Level 2 and
E-learning.
He also achieved Drugs Awareness Level 1, English Level 2, and Maths
Level 2. Philip also won a year’s health and fitness club
memebership for his outstanding transformation.
His tutor Elaine Crompton says: “Philip really is a pleasure to
teach and a credit to himself. He is a shining example of Adult
Learning at its best.”
National Group Award Winner
The Therapeutic Community Theatre Company from Stockton-on-Tees
The Therapeutic Community Theatre Company (TCTC) comprises
residents of the Drug Therapeutic Community at HMP Holme House. For
the last theatrical production, a group of eight prisoners – seven
cast members, plus one stage manager – worked with an experienced
theatre facilitator to devise, rehearse and perform a play for their
families and friends. Over two months, the group studied the basics
of script-writing, plot development, performance and prop-making;
were responsible for posters and publicity materials; and designed
and produced educational activity packs which formed part of ‘goody
bags’ for children.
“TCTC worked incredibly well, because its members participated
voluntarily in the project”, nominator Suzanne Hunton from Stockton
Adult Education Service explains. “They actively supported each
other through difficulties, including learning lines and loss of
confidence… They had to overcome their nerves and deal with the
reactions of other prisoners to the very public rehearsal of a
children’s play…The rehearsals … often involved the sacrifice of
valuable privileges such as gym, library and time on the exercise
yard.”
And one member of the group says, “I hoped that taking part in this
play would help to change my life and I am glad to say that it has…
Doing this play in front of our families and friends has helped them
to understand that we are not wasting our time away [but] using our
time constructively… Importantly, beating the stereotype of a normal
prisoner was at first difficult. But in time, the pointing and
laughing stopped and we began to be taken seriously… As a group, we…
intend to put on another production – bigger and better than the
last.”
Suzanne is also clear of the benefits, “The amount of pleasure
family and friends got from the final performance had an extremely
positive effect upon participants’ self-esteem, and allowed them to
give something positive to their children in a situation that is, by
its nature, not family friendly. Several members have continued with
their own creative writing.”
National Learning Works Award Winner
Mark Binney, aged 42, from Darlington
Mark has overcome severe dyslexia to become a qualified outdoors
instructor. He returned to learning because he wanted to help his
son with school work. “I also wanted to improve myself,” he says. “I
always felt that I could achieve more, but I didn’t know where to
start.
Three years ago Mark approached the educational charity Dyslexia
Action, his self-esteem at rock bottom. “I left school without being
able to read and write, and felt that I was thick. I had no
self-confidence and had a fear of communicating with groups of
people.” An assessment showed that though severely dyslexic, he was
very bright. His day to day work was repetitive and frustrating -
his real passion was the outdoors, his ambition to become a mountain
leader.
His tutor Jenny Lee customised a new programme designed around
geology and the theory he would need to pass his mountain leader’s
exams. Mark went on to pass his Summer Mountain Leader’s award, a
Level 1 Youth Worker’s award, his Single Pitch award, and is now
working towards his Winter Mountain Leader’s award. He is now
teaching others as a fully qualified mountain leader. He has just
started developing a new short course called Introduction to
Climbing, and has secured the funding to take people firstly on a
climbing wall and later into the mountains.
Mark says: “Adult learning has enabled me for the first time to have
goals that I know, with effort and work, I can achieve.”
Senior Learner Award Winner
Gerry Birch, aged 65, from Hetton-le-Hole
Saying that a Confidence Building course…“has saved my life”
might seem to be overstating its impact but for Gerry Birch this is
exactly what happened. Gerry’s a cancer survivor and after only six
weeks of her new life in Hetton after moving from Yorkshire she had
to cope with the sudden death of her husband of 40 years.
From this first course she has really showed a huge thirst for
learning with Assertiveness Training, Arts and Crafts, Introduction
to Psychology, Introduction to Computing and Volunteer Induction
Package (Stage 1) all enthusiastically completed.
She is now a member of a community management focus group looking at
local regeneration and development issues and her learning is a
great incentive to others, most notably her 10-year old
granddaughter.
Gerry says, “I have started a new phase in my life. After believing
I was at the end…I now feel I am starting afresh. I was practically
housebound but with the help of good friends and great tutors I am
beginning to really enjoy life again. I am going to keep on learning
as long as I can. I am a recycled teenager.”