Adult Learners' Forum for Aberdeenshire

ALFA members were delighted to be nominated for a National Adult Learning Group Award by CLD staff. The group have since found out that they have been shortlisted by Scotland’s Learning Partnership and are looking forward to attending the ceremony in May which is being held during Adult Learners’ Week.

The group were nominated because of their work and passion for Learner Voice. In the nomination, CLD staff highlighted that ALFA, currently made up of seven adult learning champions, share their knowledge and experiences to promote adult learning and help break down barriers. Considering themselves as lifelong learners they promote community-based adult learning as a catalyst empowering people to make change in their lives.

They have refined their research skills, developed an understanding around consultation, presenting and speaking in public. As the Community Learning and Development Service expand the forums to cover six Council Ward areas across Aberdeenshire, the group are now looking at supporting this.

The nomination also highlighted the group’s work around consultation. Current adult learners in Aberdeenshire were consulted around three wishes or changes they would like to see happen in adult learning. At the event, held by the Scottish Government, the group submitted their wishes on a postcard in December 2023.

The nomination concluded that ALFA “have pushed themselves out with their comfort zones both individually and as a collective group. Forum members are hugely supportive of each other and are passionate about making a positive change and empowering others to make changes to their lives.”

Long standing ALFA member Charlie McCorry said that ‘This is a real achievement for the group. It shows that our voluntary commitment and work in promoting community-based adult learning is valued and recognised not just locally but nationally. We were so pleased to be nominated and now we are over the moon to be shortlisted. I hope we win it, so we can put adult learning in Aberdeenshire on the map!”

Members of ALFA came together in Huntly on Tuesday 7th May to take part in filmmaking for the National Adult Learning Awards hosted by Scotland’s Learning Partnership.

Three members of the group were able to meet face to face and other members of the group joined online to highlight how they normally meet online.

With professional Film maker Marcin from Station House Media Unit (shmu), from North East Scotland, at the forefront of community media development, he said ‘it was a privilege to hear the ALFA member’s stories, they showed energy and passion, despite feeling nervous in front the camera”

ALFA member Lee Gall stated “ I was so out of my comfort zone going in front of the camera, but I did it! And I feel a great sense of achievement and confidence now. I felt the fear and did it anyway.”

On Wednesday evening, 22nd May, Aberdeenshire’s Adult Learner’s Forum, known as ALFA, is hosting an online Big Number Natter event, supporting National Numeracy Day, for adults interested in talking about numbers in everyday life. All are welcome to join at 7pm.

Here is the link to the event: ALFA Big Number Natter

Microsoft Teams

Join a Microsoft Teams Meeting by ID | Microsoft Teams

Meeting ID: 350 463 335 349

Passcode: rVyVJg

National Numeracy Day is a chance to celebrate numbers, how we use them in our daily lives, such as work and home, and when we support our children to learn.

The key themes for the day

· Overcoming anxiety about maths 

· Managing money with maths

· Getting confident with maths at work 

· Help your children love maths. 

ALFA member Natalie Naylor stated ‘I did an SQA in Numeracy with Adult Learning and my understanding of numbers and calculations improved and had a wider impact on my day to day life. My numeracy learning has had unexpected outcomes, for example my cooking and baking is so much better now!”

If you would like to know more about ALFA visit https://engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/adult-learners-forum-for-aberdeenshire

Useful Links

National Numeracy Challenge

Number Heroes competition

Adult learning with CLD - Aberdeenshire Council

ALFA members came together online on 1^st May 2024 for their regular executive meeting with a busy and exciting agenda.

The group discussed several items listed below:

1. Adult Learners Week
2. Adult Learners Week Celebration Event - 23rd May
3. Filming plan/s - dates - times - location
4. Numeracy Day session 22nd May
5. The local area forums' update
6. The initial session plan for all forums
7. Alternative names for Power Tools
8. Funding
9. AOB

With a focus on developing Learner Voice through widening learner representation and increasing participation, the group discussed the establishment of the 6 area adult learners’ forums and agreed on key questions to support each group to express their views on adult learning – the benefits, the barriers, the big concerns and hopes for the future.

ALFA member Duncan Ross stated at the end of the meeting that “this was a busy but great meeting with lots of positive things happening locally and nationally with learner voice and our group being shortlisted for the National Adult Learning Awards.”

The Adult Learners’ Forum for Aberdeenshire are delighted that Learner Voice for both young people and adults is one of the four priorities for the Community Learning and Development (CLD) delivery plan in Aberdeenshire.

Over the months of February and March the group co-designed a presentation with CLD staff to promote learner voice to the wider Adult Learning and Communities Team and provided individual ‘talking heads’ films promoting wider participation and representation of learners throughout the region.

With CLD Learner Voice lead officers, ALFA developed the presentation to provide insight into what learner voice is all about.

In this short film, ALFA member Amanda Wilson highlights the value of adult learning and learner voice.

Chaz Wood explains why learner voice is important to him in his short film:

https://youtube.com/shorts/PN93xxjcjI8?feature=share

Natalie Naylor provides insight into the value of participating in Learner Voice for her personally and socially

Adult Learners' Forum Aberdeenshire (ALFA) members worked together to identify the ‘wishes’ they wanted to take to the Christmas Voices event in Edinburgh. The event was an opportunity to discuss with MSPs what matters to adult learners. On Tuesday 5th December 2023 around 50 people, mainly community-based adult learners but also volunteers and CLD workers, met with these politicians at the Holyrood Hotel. CLD Worker Ed Garrett attended on behalf of the Adult Learners' Forum Aberdeenshire (ALFA). He presented the wishes from Aberdeenshire on behalf of the forum:

1. We require parity of access for adult learning groups across Scotland (to suitable learning spaces).
2. We need a national implementation plan to support the current adult learning strategy.
3. We need a new national awareness campaign to promote the benefits of adult learning.
4. We need recognition for adult learning as a route for social prescribing for health and wellbeing.
5. We support the idea of an adult learning bill.

Ed participated in the discussions around themes familiar to ALFA, such as access to learning spaces, promoting awareness and proper resourcing, these wishes were noted by the MSP's present.

The idea for a Scottish adult learning bill was also highlighted during the event. Although this process can take years, this is an area of interest for ALFA. So, as a representative group of adult learners, ALFA will monitor this area of interest and keep these discussions at the forefront of their meetings.

Ed said “It was great to see adult learners from across Scotland having the chance to talk directly with MSPs”

On a beautiful day, the 19^th of July 2023, the Adult Learners' Forum for Aberdeenshire (ALFA) group organised a summer social. They met and got to know each other better and identify some of the priority issues in Adult Learning. Over a lovely lunch of sandwiches and homemade Madagascar vegetable pakora contributed by one of our ALFA members, the group agreed to examine some topics identified at the Celebration of Learning event in March in more detail.

ALFA digital discussions on adult learning priority issues

At the Summer social the group highlighted several things they wanted to explore further together in relation to adult learning needs, promotion, learning spaces (online and offline),etc.

How did you find out about these adult learning opportunities?

• Online - I knew the course I wanted to do so looked for a local provider - found that online eventually - time consuming and digital navigations skills.
• Through CLD Email Drops
• From family / Youth work
• leaflets at local shows with some information
• I found out about CLD thorough Aberdeenshire's Mental Health Improvement and Wellbeing Service (MHIWS), and I found Confidence to Cook through Ed while I was learning with him over CLD. I also learned about Power Tools course through Aberdeenshire's Employability service
• need to know what you want online
• CLD Facebook
• Learned about MIB at craft fare
• I found Business Gateway through online research but need to be computer savvy
• Know about Social Media Platforms but don't want to use is as much as many do to share etc. Too many platforms, hard to know which one when - changes with trends etc.

What makes a good online learning space ?

• Options
• Hybrid / Blended learning
• 1:1/small/large groups
• Flexibility
• local/national/global participation
• removes the barriers of childcare and travel to access learning

What does not make a good online learning space?

• Poor connectivity Communication Accessibility (Zoom/ Microsoft Teams /Google Meet)
• Poor facilitation
• Lack of participant engagement
• Cliques
• Exclusion
• Some people find it easier to concentrate on learning when they are in a physical space away from their home

What are your learning needs?

• Personal Development
• Social Media Learning
• Parenting Skills
• Core Skills (Literacy / Numeracy / ICT / Working with Others / Problem Solving)
• SQA Accreditation
• Family Learning

What adult learning experiences have you engaged in, in your community and elsewhere?

• Workshops
• Wellbeing festival
• Crafting and creativity
• Confidence to Cook
• Steps Course
• Cake Decorating
• Welding
• Ceramics
• Pottery

How did you find out about these Adult Learning opportunities?

• Online
• Social Media platforms
• CLD Email Drops ­
• Leaflets at local shows with some information
• Aberdeenshire’s Mental Health Improvement and Wellbeing Service (MHIWS)
• Aberdeenshire’s Employability Service
• CLD Facebook page

Our Supporting CLD Staff

ALFA members thanked Simone Sinclair who has supported the group from its establishment in 2021 with a bouquet of flowers at the Learners’ Celebration event and welcomed Clare Taylor-Brown and Natalie Cooper as their new CLD support team.

If you would like to find out more about ALFA or would like to meet the group to discuss adult learning matters, please contact:

Clare.TaylorBrown@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or telephone: 01467 536968

Natalie.Cooper@Aberdeenshire.gov.uk or telephone: 01467 539310

Lada Copic, from the Community Learning and Development Worker met the Adult Learners' Forum for Aberdeenshire (ALFA) group in May to discuss wider achievement and certification. These themes led to a lot of dialogue and discussion around the value ALFA members of placed on certification as well as accreditation.

Overall, ALFA members felt there was value in certification in wider achievement.

The Adult Learners' Forum for Aberdeenshire co-designed with the Community Learning and Development (CLD) Service the Celebration of Learning event on the 28^{th of} March held at Inverurie Heritage Centre. Adult Learners' Forum for Aberdeenshire (ALFA)member Charlie McCorry compered the event.

The event was attended by over eighty people from all over Aberdeenshire, including Cllr Gillian Owen, Chair of the Education and Children's Services, Head of Service for Communities Wellbeing and Partnerships and CLD Service Manager and Adult Learning and Communities Team Leader, Jane Verity.

Throughout the night, Penny Downs, a local artist did a live illustration of the stories and messages shared by learners.

Eight individuals shared their stories another eight individuals shared their journeys in the community in their work.

This included project with Aberchirder Men's Shed and CLD partnership, The Udny project, The Old Meldrum Mental Health Group and the KMYC project supported by CLD staff.

Comments from those who attended highlighted that the night was inspirational and informative.

"Wonderful event to celebrate everyone’s achievements."

"Very well organised. Lovely inspiring stories which give you the drive to continue. Beautiful evening."

"Brilliant, planned event. Loved hearing everyone’s stories. I have been inspired to do more learning where possible."

With CLD staff support, tabletop discussions were facilitated at the Celebration of Learning event. Listed below are the discussion themes and responses.

The big issues in adult and community learning

• People not knowing what is out there.
• Stigma
• Lack of funding
• Trying to do more with less.
• The journey is as important as the outcome.
• Lack of space to deliver sessions.

The Benefits of Engaging in Adult and Community Learning

• connecting and socialising with others
• access to a computer and the internet to apply for jobs
• employability skills
• Confidence
• meeting new people
• keeps your mind active
• gives me a voice
• refreshes rusty skills
• helps with clarity of thought
• helps me practice my English

How do adults find out about learning opportunities and how can we promote learning opportunities better?

• A central website
• Better signposting
• Promotional Materials
• Community Notice Boards
• Schools
• Parent Teacher’s Associations (PTAs)
• Education does not stop after school!

Barriers to Learning

• Ashamed to ask for help
• Not knowing what is available
• Mindset • Family commitments
• Mental Health
• Cost
• Travel
• Ill-health
• Access to IT
• Too many acronyms
• Don’t assume everyone is in the know – I’m not’

How do we remove barriers?

• Make learning accessible
• Community access
• Putting people in the right direction
• Using the right approach with learners
• Removing the Stigma – “it’s ok not to know things!”
• IT training to access digital opportunities