those provided by the WEA contribute greatly, and cost effectively, to the health and wellbeing of older people. The times are changing and so is the WEA but our social contribution continues to be of great importance. I blog on adult education issues and the links below say more about health education and also language

Pete Caldwell, WEA Regional Director London

Links:

http://pcaldwell.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/dclg‐english‐language‐competition‐esol/

http://pcaldwell.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/community‐health‐education‐an‐idea‐whose‐time‐has‐come/

The recent publication of data from 2011 census brought home to me the pace of social change in the country and perhaps particularly in London. It was widely commented at the time that London is now a ‘majority‐minority’ city; in 2011 less than 45% of the population reported as ‘white British’ compared with nearly 60% ten years ago. The change is some London boroughs is dramatic for instance in Barking and Dagenham 49% of the population reported as ‘white British’ compared with nearly 80% ten years ago. One of the policy points arising for these changes is language, for instance over 300 languages are spoken in London schools. However, the impact of language should not be overestimated as there are only 4% of Britain’s 23.4m households in which nobody has English as a main language. The WEA is currently engaged with a Department of Communities and Local Government initiative to develop English language skills amongst these groups of people. The emphasis will be on the use of language to engage in civic and community life, not on ‘employability’. Half of the local

authorities targeted by this project are in London. The other thing that’s striking is the persistence of huge inequalities in income, educational opportunities, health and housing (they are of course interconnected). Many of you will be familiar with the report ‘Taking the Jubilee line to health inequalities’; this remarked on how areas a few miles apart have greatly different levels of life expectancy. For instance there are eight stops between Westminster and Canning town on the Jubilee line – so as one travels east, every two stops, on average, marks over a year of shortened lifespan. The WEA in London already has a good record in some of the most deprived boroughs in the city. Our regional learning centre is in Hackney and we have a strong presence in boroughs such as Tower Hamlets and Haringey. We are also building up work south of the river in boroughs like Southwark and Lambeth. I think we can increasingly demonstrate the role of good quality community adult education in combating inequality. The final point is that Britain is getting older. 16% of the nation is aged 65 or over whereas only 6% are under five years of age. The implications of a ‘greying population’ are massive and have been widely debated not least the costs of caring for us in our later years. It is a truism of adult education that courses such as

Times They Are a Changing

WEA London Region

February 2013 Issue 3

Newsletter

CONTENTS

POETRY WORKS 2

A KINGDOM FOR A HORSE 3

COMMUNITY INTERPRETING 4

A GRAND DAY OUT 5

AUTISM IN THE WORKPLACE 7

MOLLY MORGAN LECTURE 10

AFFILIATE TO THE WEA 12

An excellent collection of poems produced during the 2011/12 WEA course ‘Approaches to Literature: How Poetry Works’ is now available to download and view online.

Held at the Compass Theatre in Ickenham and organised by the Ruislip Branch of WEA London Region. Under the tutelage of Helena Bassil-Morozow, the course looked at the purpose and techniques of poetry, examined different poetic styles and analysed literary genres. During the course learners also had an opportunity to explore the lives and contexts of various authors.

MOBILIOUS by Alfred Moon

The Mobile Phone came like a wolf to the fold, It bewitched all the young and confused all the old; It distorted the mind and addled the brain, With its “I’m at the station” and “I’m on the train”. We’re stumbling through life with a hand to our ear, “Just say that again, it not terribly clear.” The message comes through with a stammer and stutter; We’re filling the ether with clamour and clutter. If you haven’t got one they think you are nuts; They aren’t even mentioned in government cuts. There are sudden loud voices you hear in the street; You hear all their secrets – it’s far from discreet. It shames you at concerts, disturbs you in bed; If there is no signal you’re living – but dead.

Here’s one of the poems

to whet your whistles:

One of the aims of this course was to provide an all-encompassing and enjoyable course for those that were interested in knowing how, and why, poems ‘work’. As you will see from the resulting writing, the learners on the course have all produced some excellent work. The collection of poems can be viewed on our Galleryonline page here: www.online.wea.org.uk/galleryonline

Newsletter

WEA Poetry Works

Page 2

Instead of a rollicking time with your chums Your friends are just buttons your prod with your thumbs. You can turn up the weather, or check on the score; Now mothers don’t speak to their babies no more, They’re retailing gossip or scandal or worse, So is it a blessing, or is it a curse? What happed to English? You see that I’m vexed: Our beautiful language reduced to a TEXT. It’s more than obsession and worse than a habit, It’s making us stupid and monosyllabic. I’ll leave it at that, or you might think me bitter. I’ve not said a word about Facebook or Twitter.

Roman Youth on Horseback 1-50 AD - The Great Court

For information on our drawing classes at the British Museum please contact:

Elaine Taylor: 020 7426 1974 ETaylor@wea.org.uk

The Big Draw is the world’s biggest celebration of drawing that has grown into a month-long festival throughout October.

Every year hundreds of thousands of people join in Big Draw events run in national and regional museums and galleries, schools, community centres, libraries, art clubs and village halls.

The WEA Big Draw event in partnership with the British Museum was as usual a great success. Based in the Chinese Gallery (room 33) the aim of the event was to link drawing with Shakespeare, as there was a huge exhibition on Shakespeare running in the Museum at the time.

The Gallery had some beautiful sculptures of horses that made ideal subjects to draw. The quote from Shakespeare’s

Richard III “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!” became a source of inspiration. As the event was in the Chinese Gallery this quote was translated into Chinese and became the title of the course and worksheet.

The Chinese writing drew in many people who were then asked to find and draw some of the lovely horses in the gallery.

Many people took part in the event and the photos below show the fantastic results from the day.

As well as being a lot of fun for everyone involved the Big Draw event gave us an opportunity to showcase some of our excellent teaching in the creative arts.

We’re already looking forward to our next Big Draw event at the Museum, why not come along, it’s open to all!

A Kingdom for a Horse - It’s a Big Draw!

“THE QUOTE FROM SHAKESPEARE’S RICHARD III “A HORSE, A HORSE, MY KINGDOM

FOR A HORSE!” BECAME A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.”

Page 3 Issue 3

“Technology has been particularly useful for this subject area and there are plans to expand the use of internet-based learning platforms such as Moodle to support learners.”

WEA London’s Community Interpreting Team is taking the lead on the National WEA Community Interpreting Network. The main aims of the project are to standardise course provision, materials, publicity and fees, so that by next September all learners across England will be able to study Community Interpreting based around a standard set of learning materials and methods.

The Community Interpreting Network is also producing a course handbook for the new Ascentis accredited level 3 Community Interpreting qualification.

Other learning providers are already showing an interest in the course handbook and there are plans to either sell or license it to them.

Learners successfully completing the Community Interpreting course can progress onto employment with interpreting services and agencies.

Other progression routes include further relevant training courses such as Bilingual Advocacy, higher level related courses with other providers and training as potential language assessors and Community Interpreting tutors.

Technology has been particularly useful for this subject area and there are plans to expand the use of internet-based learning platforms such as Moodle to support learners.

Other courses delivered by the Community Interpreting team include:

Bilingual Advocacy

Interpreting in Mental Health

Interpreting in Child Protection

Community Translation Principles and Practice

Introduction to Immigration Issues.

Introduction to Welfare Benefits

The team can also offer customised in-service training for employers of community interpreters and translators, and for service providers working with community interpreters within the public services.

Information about these courses and how to apply is also available via the London Region website: www.london.wea.org.uk/community-interpreting

London leads on Community Interpreting Network Project

Page 4 Newsletter

Contact Details: If you would like to find out more about this project or the Community Interpreting courses, whether you are an individual learner or an organisation interested in providing training for your local community, please contact: Phyllis Acosta, Community Interpreting Co-ordinator Telephone: 07984 664694 Email: pacosta@wea.org.uk

WEA Learners at the Museum entrance

Learners from the WEA Entry Level 3 Literacy class spent a day at the British Museum recently.

Accompanied by WEA tutor Atika Ashrad the group spent the whole day in the Museum and for some learners it was an unforgettable day as it was the first time they had travelled on the tube with classmates and friends instead of their families.

The group visited a variety of exhibitions at the Museum, the most popular exhibit amongst all learners being the Egyptian mummies in the Roxie Walker Galleries (rooms 62-63). This fascinating exhibition explores mummification, magic and ritual and the items on display include mummies, masks and portraits. The exhibit also looks at how modern research methods such as x-ray and CT scans are used to examine the

mummification process.

Other exhibits which proved popular by the group included The Islamic World, Money, Clocks and Watches. According to one learner, Asma Begum, "it was a very memorable day for me because, you know, I have never been anywhere without family."

Another learner, Nurjahan Begum said, " I enjoyed most because we were a group of women who went together to the museum and we

felt so free."

All the learners had progressed from ESOL to Literacy in the Autumn term at the WEA class which takes place every Wednesday in a primary school in Tower Hamlets.

Literacy Class at the British Museum

"...THE MOST POPULAR EXHIBIT

AMONGST ALL LEARNERS BEING THE EGYPTIAN MUMMIES..."

Page 5 Issue 3

Changing the Guard!

WEA London delivers English and Maths courses to two of the companies which comprise the Queen’s Guard: Scots Guards, F-Company, and Coldstream Guards, 7-Company.

Learning takes place in the Army’s Guard Room inside St James’s Palace, during the winter months as the Changing of the Guard only takes place every 48 hours.

The sessions of the course follow the guard rota of the companies and all soldiers on guard duty that day, at both St James’s Palace and Buckingham Palace, can join in.

Most learners work towards qualifications at Level 1 and Level 2.

“Learning takes place in the Army’s Guard Room inside St James’s Palace...”

Page 6 Newsletter

WEA Parliamentary Event & Awards Ceremony

Over 250 staff, students and

tutors from across the UK

packed into the Houses of

Parliament for the WEA

Making a Difference

parliamentary event.

Launched by WEA patron

and shadow education

secretary Stephen Twigg,

the parliamentary event

included a panel discussion

chaired by Baroness

Shephard and a speech by

Rajay Naik, Head of

Government and External

Affairs at the Open

University, which launched

a new partnership between

the WEA and the OU.WEA

Chief Executive, Ruth

Spellman, also launched a

new Parliamentary Friends

Group to give students a

voice in government and

beyond.

The event then moved to

the nearby Abby Centre, for

the inaugural WEA Award

Ceremony where the

winners were announced.

The winner for London

Region was Mike Bradley

who received a Volunteer

of the Year Award for his

contributions to WEA

London Region.

WEA London would like to

thank all of its volunteers

who have contributed in

some way to helping us

deliver our diverse

education programme.

Mike Bradley (left) receives a Volunteer of the Year Award for

his contribution to London Region from WEA Trustee David

Freeman.

Three one day ‘Autism in the Workplace’ seminars have been held at WEA London in partnership with the RMT Trade Union, and sponsored by RMT, PCS and Simpson Millar solicitors. The initiative for the sessions came from Janine Booth, RMT Council of Executives, London Transport representative and former WEA learner. Janine approached the WEA for assistance in taking the events forward and was given support in developing the materials and with organising the seminars. The first event was so popular that it was fully booked within a few days of being advertised and two more events followed; a 4th seminar is in planning, to accommodate all those who had to be turned away from the original sessions.

The aims of the seminars was to raise awareness of autism in the workplace, to enable trade unionists to organise around this issue, to help tackle discrimination and to boost confidence for effectively representing autistic workers and those who care for autistic dependents.

Myths and realities around autism were explored whilst looking at real life case studies with consideration of the implications for trade union representatives and union members. The events rounded up with discussion on how to make our workplaces, and our trade unions more autism–friendly.

An important part of the briefings was the contribution from John McDonnell MP who led sessions on autism and politics. John was unfortunately unable to attend the 3rd briefing but sent a video link instead which can be viewed online here: www.rmtlondoncalling.org.uk/node/3885

Simpson Millar solicitors ran sessions on autism and the law, covering the workplace as well as an overview of the issues for carers and dependents.

For more information about our trade union programme, see our website: www.london.wea.org.uk/trade-union-courses or contact Monica Gort, TU Course Organiser Email: mgort@wea.org.uk Tel: 020 7426 1976

In recent years there has been an increased understanding of the autistic spectrum, the internet has facilitated access to knowledge and self-organisation of autistic people has given a more positive view of life on the spectrum. Also, as schools become better at identifying pupils with autism, many of those kids’ parents come to the realisation that they may also have autism and seek assessment.

It may also be the case that mounting pressure to conform socially has put people with autism under increasing stress, so more of us seek out answers which may lead to an autism diagnosis. Add to this the previous government’s introduction of some progressive but weak laws: new legal rights to request flexible working, time off for domestic emergencies and protection from disability discrimination have some value, but mean very little in practice unless trade unions assist in asserting these rights.

“A better understanding of the autism spectrum and of the neurological diversity of humanity (and therefore of the working class) will enable trade unions to better defend their members. It will also enable them to involve and mobilise more members by ensuring that union culture and procedures are not unnecessarily geared towards a narrowly-defined neurotypicality. I hope that these seminars together with the policy development and handbook for trade unionists that will follow in their wake will be a useful contribution to that process.”

Janine Booth.

Autism in the Workplace 50 trade unionists are now better equipped to deal with autism related issues!

Image credit: © Landon Bryce www.thautcast.com

Page 7 Issue 3

thebranch to continue its work providing essential and life changing services to local communities.

Stan will be sorely missed by friends and neighbours yet, with his generous gift, his thirst for knowledge will live on in the work of the WEA.

Tributes to Eric Frith

I'd like to join members of Ilford and Walthamstow WEA branches, and staff and members across London Region, in paying tribute to the life and contributions to adult education and the WEA of Stan Jones and Eric Frith who both died recently.

In their different ways they both provided inspiration and an example to all of us who believe in the power of adult education to change and improve people's lives

Pete Caldwell

Regional Director, WEA London

Leytonstone.

His service was attended by Audrey Stewart on behalf of WEA London Region

Stan began studying with the WEA in 1966 and continuously explored his passions

in Archaeology, Ancient Greek and British, and European History. Living in Ilford all his life, only interrupted by his national service, Stan was a committed member of WEA London’s Ilford Branch.

Stan’s lively and mischievous sense of humour made him a magnetic communicator, collecting friends on his attendance to classes,

summer schools and coach trips.

Stan had a great belief in the work of WEA as a charity committed to transforming lives through adult education and was a fixture at the Ilford AGM; even when dealing with diminishing mobility.

Stan generously left WEA Ilford a bequest in his will, allowing

The legacy of Stan Jones

said: "Eric and Elise embodied the ideals of the WEA, and the branch will not be the same without them".

Family friend Julian Walker added: "He will be much missed.

"He was a model of generosity and the best friend I could ever have. He always brought out the best in people."

Eric died on Christmas Day at Whipps Cross Hospital in

Tributes have been paid to Eric Frith, a stalwart of adult education who has died at the age of 90.

Along with his late wife Elise, Eric founded the WEA Walthamstow branch in 2005. Eric truly embodied the dedication and commitment of WEA volunteers and he will be missed by students, volunteers and staff.

WEA colleague Joan Carder

Page 8 Issue 3

Get in Touch: To arrange an informal visit or to discuss what we can offer, please con-tact our Centre Manager, Paul Blackwell on 020 8937 3268 E-mail: pblackwell@wea.org.uk

Venue and Room Hire

Planning a conference or need meeting or training rooms near Central London?

Page 9 Issue 3

Our range of rooms are ideal for meetings or for training purposes and can be laid out to your preference. The rooms can accommodate between 4 and 75 people. Wireless internet runs throughout the building and the rooms come with data projectors and Smartboards or Whiteboards.

The WEA London Region Training Centre is located near to Shoreditch and Hoxton at the edge of the City of London. It is within a short walking distance to the excellent transport links at Liverpool Street, Moorgate and Old Street stations.

Room Name Charity Rate Non-Charity Rate

Room layouts can be

configured to your prefer-ence

Half Day

9am - 1pm 1- 5pm

Full Day

9am - 5pm

Half Day

9am - 1pm 1 - 5pm

Full Day

9am - 5pm

Clerkenwell Capacity 10 - 40

£100 £150 £130 £200

Hoxton/ Shoreditch

Capacity 10 - 40 £100 £150 £130 £200

Hoxton Only

Capacity - 10 £70 £100 £70 £100

Shoreditch Only Capacity - 10

£70 £100 £70 £100

Barbican/ Whitechapel Capacity 30 - 75

£130 £200 £200 £300

Barbican Only Capacity 10 - 30

£100 £150 £130 £200

Broadgate ‐ (IT Suite) Capacity 17

£100 £150 £130 £200

The rooms are available at the following competitive rates:

The fight against racism in the 1930s & 1940s and the rise of McCarthyism.

Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and the Montgomery bus boycott.

Little Rock and the desegregation of education.

The growth of the national civil rights movement to the March on Washington in 1963.

Civil rights and black power. King, the Democrats and Vietnam. The Memphis sanitation strike.

Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement by Ken Olende

An illustrated talk, with film clips and discussion about how Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement changed the US, giving birth to a new anti-racist movement and a wider radicalism.

The Molly Morgan Memorial Lecture 2013 17th April, 17.30 - 19.30

Conference - The Life and Legacy of C.L.R. James Saturday, April 13, 2013 from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM - WEA London Region 96 - 100 Clifton St, EC2A 4TP

Ken Olende is a journalist specialising in race issues, the labour movement and Africa. He is currently writing chapters on the origins and history of racism for a forthcoming book. He also writes on African literature and cinema. He contributes to various socialist journals. He has been a trade unionist since 1985, spending many years as a shop steward.

This annual event is held in memory of Molly Morgan, a dedicated WEA volunteer who gave over 30 years of service to WEA Stanmore Branch as Class Secretary, Committee Member and Chair.

Venue: WEA London Region 96 - 100 Clifton St, EC2A 4TP This event is free!

At a time when black history is under attack in Britain from the Coalition government, it is critically im-portant to remember the contribution made by figures such as the great black Trinidadian writer and activist C.L.R. James (1901-1989).

2013 for example marks the 80th anniversary of the publication of his anti-colonial pamphlet The Case for West Indian Self-Government, the 75th anniversary of the publication of his classic history of the Haitian Revolution, The Black Jacobins, the 60th anniversary of his study of Herman Melville's Moby Dick - Mari-ners, Renegades and Castaways, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal cultural history of cricket, Beyond a Boundary. The C.L.R. James Legacy Project, in partnership with the Workers' Educational Association (WEA) will be hosting a conference on the Life & Legacy of C.L.R. James in London on Saturday 13th April 2013, in order to help a new generation of activists learn from James's inspiring life and work. Speakers: - Darcus Howe - Boradcaster, writer and civil liberties campaigner - Selwyn Cudjoe - Wellesley College and co-editor of C.L.R. James: His Intellectual Legacies - Mike Dibb - Film-maker who worked with C.L.R. James - Robert A. Hill - UCLA and James's Literary Executor - Selma James - author, Women's Rights and anti-racist campaigner The event will also include the official UK launch of the new C.L.R. James Archives series with Duke Uni-versity Press, the first volume of which concerns the last major piece of James's writing never before pub-lished: Toussaint Louverture: The story of the only successful slave revolt in history, For info on the C.L.R. James lagacy project visit: www.clrjameslegacyproject.org.uk Sign up for this free event here: http://clrjameslegacyconference.eventbrite.com/

Page 10 Issue 3

Teach for the WEA

Sessional Tutors sought with expertise in a wide range of subjects for the WEA Lon don Region. We need tutors who can teach their subjects; build the skills, confi-dence and knowledge of adults to help change lives and communities; build diver-sity and inclusion in adult learning; have a teaching qualification.

The WEA provide educational opportunities for all adults through workplaces and community organisa-tions, building our provision around the needs, interests and experiences of adults. Further details and application form on our website: www.london.wea.org.uk/jobs

or call 01634 298 600 to request a printed version of the Application Pack.

French conversation for beginners A lively introduction to the French language.

You will learn basic elements of conversa-tion and by the end of the course you will be able to get by in practical situations.

Course details Duration: 10 2-hour sessions

Venue: The Sangam Centre, 210 Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, Middx HA8 0AP

Start date: 28/02/2013

Times: Thursdays from 19.30 to 21.30

Fee: £75.00 or FREE for those in receipts of certain benefits.

Course Ref: C2416609

If you are viewing this on a computer with an internet connection you can click the following link or copy and paste it into your browser address bar to enrol online:

https://enrolonline.wea.org.uk/Online/2012/CourseInfo.aspx?ActivityID=292250

To book this course by telephone, please call: 0800 328 1060

Featured Course

Page 11 Newsletter

VENUE: Clapham Picture House 76 Venn Street, London SW4 0AT Nearest tube Clapham Common, Northern Line Tel: 0871 902 5727

In partnership with Clapham Picturehouse and hosted by John Riley from Resonance 104.4fm’s film show ‘I’m Ready for My Close Up’

Watch a new feature film with discussion

Featured independent film makers showing a selection of short films with discus-sions

Only pay for the feature film

Meet at 6:30pm in the Cafe/Bar area

www.london.wea.org.uk/filmclub

Film Club @Clapham Picturehouse After a short interval the WEA Film Club is back!

Interested in showing your films (10 mins max)? Submit DVDs with contact details and 40 words about your film to: Elaine Taylor ETaylor@wea.org.uk to view it WEA London, 96-100 Clifton Street, London EC2A 4TP. 020 7426 1974

Contribute to the Newsletter

To celebrate the centenary of the WEA Eastern Region, The Cambridge Corn Exchange and Guildhall will play host to the Biennial WEA Conference on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 October 2013.

Get Ready for Conference 2013

If you have any news, events or announce-ments that you would like to have included in the next edition of the Newsletter, please con-tact Andrew Perrin aperrin@wea.org.uk

The Workers’ Educational Association is a charity registered in England and Wales, number 1112775, and in Scotland, number SC039239, and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, number 2806910.

WEA National website: www.wea.org.uk

WEA London website: www.london.wea.org.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/wealondon

Twitter: www.twitter.com/wealondon

Galleryonline: www.online.wea.org.uk/galleryonline

Useful Links

Newsletter Page 12

Affiliate to WEA London

Affiliations to WEA London will be available soon via the WEA London Region website.

The WEA was founded in 1903 in order to support the educational needs of working men and women who couldn’t afford to access further or higher education. Today the WEA continues to provide courses for all adults but aims to maintain our special mission to provide educational opportunities to adults facing social and economic disadvantage:

If you would like to support the work of the WEA and get more involved we would encourage your trade union branch, organisation or group to affiliate with us.

Benefits of affiliating:

• Support our campaigning and educational work

• Attend our AGM and have voting rights

• Eligibility for election to Regional Governance

• Receive WEA newsletter and course brochures

• Your organisation’s logo and link on the affiliates page of our site

• Your organisation listed in our annual report

www.london.wea.org.uk/affiliate