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The Voluntary & Community Basic Skills & ESOL Fund (VSF)Project Status: Completed
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In partnership with: |
The purpose of the Voluntary and Community Sector Basic Skills and ESOL Fund (VSF) was to demonstrate and pilot a programme of community-led and neighbourhood based basic skills work which would be delivered largely by voluntary and community organisations, assisted by local quality providers.
Aims
The main aims of the programme were to:
 | assist the voluntary and community sector locally to develop basic skills provision as part of their work with disadvantaged adults. |
| improve the quality of learning for adults in community-based projects, through enhancing partnership approaches in the delivery of basic skills opportunities. |
| enable the voluntary sector providers to play a full role within the new learning and skills structures, particularly in terms of neighbourhood renewal. |
| support key providers of education and training to work more effectively with voluntary and community organisations in the basic skills area. |
| begin the process of establishing an infrastructure for basic skills provision which includes the voluntary and community sector at local and national level. |
| raise awareness about the needs of socially excluded groups within the basic skills agenda both within the quality providers and some sections of the voluntary and community sector. |
| begin the process of building up local and national networks around basic skills provision. |
| involve learners in the design and delivery of the programmes. |
| increase the involvement of disadvantaged groups in provision of basic skills and ESOL. |
All projects were about basic skills and ESOL in the voluntary and/or community
sector, but each strand approached this in different ways:
Strand 1: Direct basic skills or ESOL tuition for adult learners.
Strand 2: Training in basic skills and/or ESOL for volunteers, mentors or paid staff.
Strand 3: Needs analysis and capacity building for voluntary and community organisations, in basic skills and ESOL.
