Regional News

WEA Spring Health Fair

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Website and Com-munication

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Have you pledged your support for Adult Education?

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Matrix Success 4

A Learning Revolu-tion: Learning will never be the same

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this Newsletter as well as the subscrib-ers’ section of the website.

Peter Caldwell, WEA Regional Director

A General Election is imminent and wide ranging public expendi-ture cuts are planned, whatever the outcome. What impact will this have on the WEA?

The Associat ion’s Trustees have agreed the setting up of a pro-ject (‘New Look’) to work out how we can change and re-organise ourselves to enable us to concen-trate on our charitable mission in straitened and turbulent times.

I am involved in the project as Strategic Co-ordinator and the Project Board repre-sents a cross section of voluntary members,

including a member of this region. In the West Midlands staff and voluntary mem-bers are beginning to plan for next year and particularly identifying priorities and how we ensure they are ade-quately supported which will involve some changes to staff responsibilities.

The preparation of next year’s budget (again we are already starting work on this) will prove very de-manding as we will face additional costs and demands with no additional money.

Regular up-dates will be provided through

WEA prepares for change

W O R K E R S ’ E D U C A T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N

ISSUE 18 April 2010

WEST MIDLANDS NEWSLETTER

Branch News

Hereford City Branch partners with Museum

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Poem by Anthony Hofler

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WEA Branches Meet Together

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Global WEA 8

WEA Techno Elders investigate Buttons and ‘Bling’

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Wolverhampton Theatre Club

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Annual Branches Survey

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Remembering Felix Felix Davie

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Have you pledged your support for Adult Education?

Visit our website to join the campaign see page 3 for more information

www.westmidlands.wea.org.uk

WEA Health Fair brings together communities

their views on the local environment and health services, as well as learning about healthy eating, other projects that could benefit them and important health signs like the symp-toms of breast cancer.

The event was part of initial TRIF activities to identify inequalities faced by BME communities in areas including health and education. The Stoke team plans to follow up this successful start with further commu-nity-led research and action to ad-dress identified barriers

Over 100 visitors enjoyed the chance to try new learning ex-periences and talk to different health agencies at the Stoke-on-Trent Tackling Racial Ine-qualities Fund (TRIF) Regional Event on March 4th.

The event brought together learners from different learning groups including ESOL, Fit Families and Community Health Education classes and also gave a taste of the Learn-ing Circles project with the chance to try belly-dancing, recipe-tast ing, smoothie-making, henna and hand mas-sage and the community gym.

The multi-cultural attendees en-joyed lunch by renowned Burslem restaurant Badsha and, in between nibbles, gave

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For more information on the event contact inaz@wea.org.uk

Parent and Children's Workshop

Indian Henna hand painting and massage

Since the launch of the new regional web-site on the 1st of Feb-ruary 2010 we have had over 1,000 hits from unique visitors. With digital media and c o m m u n i c a t i o n s evolving so rapidly over the past few years , we need to use digital and social media as a further tool to our already successful communi-cations via word of mouth. The dispersed nature of the WEA is a double edged

sword; on the one hand we provide education at people’s door step but this dispersed na-ture of the organisation can lead to a break down in communica-tion. The new website has the functionality to aid communication via the high level of inter-activity available on it. We have regular news-feeds, blogs and fo-rums as well as sur-veys and lots of contact methods that can help learners, staff and vol-unteers stay connected

and feel part of the WEA. The website is updated and maintained regularly to ensure we have con-tent relevant to changing needs. We have private pages which have re-sources and materials useful to staff and volun-teers. Sign up to the website today and get involved.

WEA website set up to improve communication

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www.westmidlands.wea.org.uk Please contact Iram Naz for all website related queries inaz@wea.org.uk

For more information or to pledge your support visit our website:

http://www.westmidlands.wea.org.uk/what-are-your-10-good-things-about-adult-

With cuts in adult education imminent, we need to be more proactive in mak-ing sure we get our voices heard where it matters. If you value adult educa-tion, it is vital for us as educators, learners and volunteers to join the cam-paign and say why we value adult education.

We have set up a page on our website to allow people to pledge their support for adult education in a number of ways:

• Take part in our 10 top things about adult education survey

• Participate in discussions on the value of adult education

• Email your Parliamentary candidates to let them know you support adult education

• Start your own campaign by downloading a campaigning pack

Have you pledged your support for Adult Education?

Matrix Success

3. They are skilled in their roles and pas-sionate about quality improvement and staff development. 4. Learners are very satisfied, from being happy with their course to seeing it as a life-changing experience. 5. Performance and planning were gener-ally understood, targets were seen as real-istic and were met. 6. They did not detract from a learner cen-tered approach. 7. There are strong partnerships. Many are very well established and share values and resources. A full report outlining Association wide strengths and areas for improvement is available from the regional office

0121 237 8120

The Matrix assessment team agreed that the Association met the Matrix Standard which has been awarded for a period of three years.

The Matrix Standard is the national quality standard for any organisation that delivers information, advice and/or guidance (IAG) on learning and work. Everyone in the WEA provides information and advice of some kind during the course of their work, whether this is to colleagues, to members of the public or to learners. Collectively, this work is often called “Information, Ad-vice and Guidance” or IAG.

The Matrix team witnessed a wide range of programmes over different regions and ap-preciated the time spent with learners, staff, tutors, partners and volunteers. The follow-ing general strengths were identified:

1. Staff enjoy working with the WEA 2. WEA staff and volunteers are passionate about what they do.

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Learning topics and learning spaces have been evolving over the past few decades. The national WEA Learning Revolutionaries pro-ject has enabled the West Midlands to support learners/volunteers to take part in empowered learning where they have been organising and engaging people in a variety of voluntary learning activities known as Learning Circles. Here is an update on what has been going on across the region:

Stoke-On Trent Learning Circles

Recipe Swapping Circle Sharing recipes, bringing in samples of recipes for tasting.

Social circles: Women’s Theatre Group and a Men’s Bowling Group

Supporting Local Amenities in Stoke: This group set up a petition to save their local swimming pool from closing and were suc-cessful

Knitting and Crafts Circle

Dancing Circle

BME Men’s Circle

Staffordshire Leaning Circles

The idea of learning circles has created quite a lot of interest amongst our learners in Ruge-ley. At present there are15 Learning circles with 17 Learning Revolutionaries. Most circles have started and some are still recruiting. Here is a list of the activities taking place in Rugeley.

Writing Circle

Camera Club

Alternative Therapies Circle

Jewellery Circle

Ground force

Book & Film Circle

Self Help Circle,

Computer Club

Health & Wealth

Walk & Talk

Lunch Club

Artists Unite

Craft Circle

Young Parents support,

Felt and Lace

A Learning Revolution: Learning will never be the same again

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Willow weaving by member s of Rugeley Learning Circle

For More information on the Learning Revolutionaries Project or to set up a learning circle of your own, Please contact Maureen Russell mrussell@wea.org.uk

An exciting new venture for Hereford City Branch has continued for a sec-ond year. We are very pleased that the Spring workshops reached a wider audience than is usual for our programme of classes.

In partnership with the cu-rators at Herefordshire Heritage Service, eight Spring Workshops were held at Hereford Museum Resource and Learning Centre. Here was the opportunity to examine our museum's various col-lections at first hand, with explanation and guidance

from curators. It has proved to be a valuable ex-change of local knowledge and experience with all contributing to the discus-sion.

The subjects of the work-shops ranged from edged weapons and firearms: in-sect collecting and identifi-cation; ecosystems and the unique local habitats; early geologists in Herefordshire and the scientific impor-tance of their geological specimens, now in the county collection; textile conservation and how to care for your heirlooms and vintage clothes; archaeo-

logical metalwork, giving an overview of metalwork prac-tices; and the county's art col-lection, with time to see the work of Herefordshire artist Brian Hatton.

It was an opportunity to see the breadth of our local collec-tions and gave us, "Hands On" experience. We heard of the local connections and stories of the origins of the arte-facts. It has been an enriching experience with the Museum staff and students sharing lo-cal knowledge with great en-thusiasm for our county's fine collections.

Herford City Branch

Hereford City Branch and Museum Partnership Strengthens

Page 6 Branch News

My ten-weeks’ course is finished

I haven’t had enough.

Each ‘instalment’ fascinated me.

The tutor ‘knew his stuff.’

The audience were friendly

And of educated speech;

I found these traits not merely

In a few of them, but each.

Their interest in America

Was varied in degree;

Some had been there many times,

And some never (like me.

The expense offends my conscience,

So I probably won’t go,

Gratitude from a ‘Dreamer’ by Anthony Hofler

Poem by Anthony Hofler, former learner from the “Human Landscapes of North America Course at the WEA

Wolverhampton Branch

But I’ll stay in love with what I dream of,

Not with what I know).

Will there be a course like this again?

I can only hope there may.

Meanwhile, thank you, Mr. Clark,

And God bless the USA.

A well attended meeting of representatives from West Midlands WEA branches along with regional staff and voluntary members took place on March 16th.

News from this year’s classes was upbeat. The range of subjects was im-pressive- from medieval Staffordshire archaeology to Greek Tragedy via Ba-roque Art, Latin and the Irish Diaspora in England. And enrolments were high almost across the board.

Laura Whinray gave a Re-gional Chair’s report that included feedback from the 2009 WEA confer-ence, and plans for the 2011 one. She will be at-tending an Association wide meeting on the ‘future of WEA branches’ in May and her request for ideas to take there pro-voked a lively discussion. The common theme was- ‘every branch is different’ and any WEA approach

had to recognise (and in-deed encourage) this vari-ety. Specific points were made around finding more course tutors, involving branches in community learning initiatives, simplify-ing paperwork and enrol-ment procedures and the training needs of branch officers. It was also agreed that the WEA should look at ways to reduce the de-mands on branch officers, particularly treasurers.

Other subjects discussed included:

• Summer Festival: there was a general consensus was that a wide range of taster sessions would be successful

• New website: Iram intro-duced this and outlined its different features. Voluntary members with access to the internet are encouraged to subscribe to the website

• Branch b rochures 2010/11: the deadline for

copy is 30th June with produc-tion of brochures by August 1st. It was noted that the use of on-line recruitment is being piloted in certain WEA regions

Matrix: the WEA had gained accreditation for a further three years . Margare t Read (Cannock Wood branch) was thanked for her in-put

A successful day with plenty of food for thought both for the region and branches

WEA Branches meet together Page 7 Branch News

Laura Whinray, Regional Chair WEA

April

12 April FRSC Meeting – 4.00 – 6.00 pm (Monday)

May

10 May FRSC Meeting – 4.00 – 6.00 pm (Monday)

21 May: Curriculum and Quality Meeting 10.30-1.00pm (Friday)

22 May: Regional Committee Meeting 10.30-12.30pm (Saturday)

June

14 June FRSC Meeting – 4.00 – 6.00 pm (Monday)

July

3 July: Summer Festival and Regional Council Meet-ing

All day event with venue to be confirmed shortly

12 July: FRSC Meeting – 4.00 – 6.00 pm (Monday)

REGIONAL VOLUNTARY MEMBER MEETINGS CALENDAR 2009/10

All meetings will be held in the WEA Regional Office in Birmingham unless otherwise stated

Branch News Page 8

Union Confederation and the Global Union Federa-tions, and shares mutual membership with SOLI-DAR in Brussels. The idea of an international federa-tion of workers' educa-tional associations was born during World War II, the germ of it being con-tained in a resolution of the 1943 annual confer-ence of the United King-dom Workers' Educational Association: “That as part of post-war policy in de-feated and occupied coun-tries, working-class or-ganisations similar in type to the WEA should be re-constructed where they have been destroyed by anti-democratic forces and everywhere encouraged and developed.”

Following the end of the war, in October 1945, the United Kingdom move-ment took the initiative by convening a conference in

London, to which it invited representatives from workers' educational or-ganisations in all countries where they were known to exist. Ernest Green, then General Secretary of the United Kingdom- WEA, whose leadership was largely responsible for this imaginative step, later re-marked that “it was really convening a meeting of old friends". The IFWEA officially began in 1947 and has gone from strength to strength and, at present, there are 26 member organisations in Europe, two in Australia and one in each of Can-ada, Ghana, India, Israel and New Zealand.

For more information visit:

http://www.ifwea.org/index.html

You may be aware of the WEA in Australia but did you know that there are WEA organisations all around the world and that these are affiliated through the International Federation of WEAs (IFWEA). IFWEA is the international organi-sation responsible for the development of workers' education.

It brings together national and international trade un-ions, workers' education as-sociations, NGOs and foun-dations engaged in the pro-vision of adult education op-portunities for workers and the communities in which they live throughout the world. IFWEA is part of the family of international de-mocratic labour movement organisations.

It has observer status with the ILO and UNESCO, maintains close relations with the International Trade

Global Workers’ Educational Association

Branch News Page 9

If you get the chance to visit the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham you will see there are precious ma-terials arriving each day such as gold, silver and gemstones. These natural resources are used to make fine jewellery as well as a diverse range of products from badges, medals and supporting trophies to whistles, civic regalia and much more.

WEA learner groups known as the Techno Elders, led by ICT tutor Veena Gogna used ICT and heri-tage site visits to the Jewellery Quarter to research and explore the sources of some of the precious materials. For example, The Mother of Pearl Shell, which was used for button making, through 5 genera-tions by the 'Hook' family; master button makers. Learners’ findings are captured through innovative, creative, personalised and colourful scrapbooks which are proudly ex-hibited in the Jewellery Quarter Mu-seum in Birmingham

http://www.bmag.org.uk/museum-of-the-jewellery-quarter

Techno Elders visit to George Hook’s Factory

Techno Elders’ Buttons and Bling Exhibition in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham

websites and we would like to provide a link to these on our regional site. If you provide the details to regional office, we would be more than happy to set this up. The pages belong to Branches and we would like to think that

with our assistance they can become a rich re-source for all.

For further information please email

inaz@wea.org.uk

We have the capacity within Regional Office to update the website pages on a weekly basis with im-ages, news, reports and publicity for new courses and activities. We are aware that some branches have their own web pages/

Publicity Tool for Branches

WEA Techno Elders Investigate Buttons and ‘Bling’

Branch News Page 10

ships with the two most significant people in his life his greatest friend, Dr Watson, and his deadly e n e m y, P r o f e s s o r Moriarty. On Saturday 15th May the group will be revisiting the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester to see a pro-duction of G B Shaw’s Pygmalion. If you would like to know more about the Wolver-hampton theatre group please email inaz@wea.org.uk

Wolverhampton Branch

Peter Egan and Philip Franks in Sherlock Holmes

Since September the thea-tre club has again been to see some great plays, in-cluding How the Other Half Lives by Alan Ayckbourn, D.H. Lawrence’s Daughter-in-law, The Entertainer by John Osborne, G B Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession and most recently, And the Nightingale Sang by C P Taylor and Willy Russell’s musical Blood Brothers. On Saturday 10th April the club went to the Malvern Theatre to see The Secret of Sherlock Holmes, which is described as a journey into the mind of Sherlock Holmes and his relation-

The latest from the Wolverhampton Theatre Club

In our efforts to improve our services for learn-ers and stakeholders of the WEA we do an an-nual feedback survey. The successful aspects of provision as well as the areas suggested for improvement are reported aggregately to the regional management team as part of the Self Assessment Review. These then feed into our policies and strategies regarding providing high quality learning and relations for all our learners and stakeholders. Its highly valuable to have your feedback so please take the op-portunity to complete the survey that will be sent to you in the post in the very near future. If you would like an email version of the sur-vey, please email: inaz@wea.org.uk

Annual Branches Survey: We value your feedback

the Allies in the Western Desert and the attack of Pearl Harbour he could hold back no longer; he went to the Re-cruiting Officer in Birmingham and vol-unteered to serve in tanks”

He saw active service in North Africa and in the Italian Campaign. His grand-daughter wrote that her Granddad was always smiling- and indeed this was the impression we had, too. But he was a firm Chairman, even so! As an Ac-countant and one-time Director of Woodward Grosvenor- then one of the big Carpet Manufacturers in Kiddermin-ster, Felix was always willing to offer his financial expertise and organisa-tional skills, being Treasurer of a num-ber of local Societies.

Felix was the first (joint) recipient of the Wendy Fenn Award- a fitting recogni-tion of the many years’ voluntary ser-vice he gave to the Association. Edna, his wife of very nearly 60 years is simi-larly devoted to the WEA. Our thoughts are with her and her family.

Mary Hunter (Kidderminster Branch)

Felix Davie had already been a member of the Kidderminster branch of the WEA for a number of years before his election as Chairman of the Committee in April of 1983. He held this post until 2005, when both ill-health and age were beginning to take their toll.

When he became Chairman, the branch was still offering “joint” courses with Birmingham University and “local” Kidderminster Branch courses- and we were part of the West Mercia District of the National Association. Felix there-fore steered the ship- or perhaps in his case we should say he manoeuvred his tank( for he was in the 12th Royal Tank Battalion, a gunner in the Churchill tanks during the war) with com-mitment, enthusiasm allied to sound good sense through the range of potential minefields as the WEA changed.

Tutor organisers became Programme Area Managers, the link with Birmingham Extra-mural Department- and the book- boxes that went with it-was severed. And financial con-straints were evident in the 80s as now.

At a WEA Centenary event in the Corn Ex-change at the Town Hall in Kidderminster in 2003, Felix, in his short but telling speech be-fore the cutting of the cake and the photo-graphs with the local Council Leaders or May-ors of Kidderminster and District said: “The WEA is neither political, sectarian nor ethnic in its constitution. Learning groups are devoid of class barriers -everyone is equal. Inspired voluntary work by its Committees and other helpers provides a very strong reason for its continued existence”. Indeed.

The integrity of his private family life, as cele-brated at his funeral was certainly reflected in his commitment to the WEA and his pragma-tism in accepting and working with change.

Felix was in a reserved occupation during the war, but- and this is a quote from his obituary: “Following news of a disastrous tank battle for

Remembering Felix Davie 14/06/1922 –18/02/2010

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The next issue of the WEA regional newsletter will be published near the end of July 2010, if you have any in-teresting stories, events or learner case studies you would like to publicise please forward them to Becky Samra by the 9th of July 2010.

bsamra@wea.org.uk

How to contact the Regional Office

Phone: 0121 237 8120

Fax: 0121 237 8121

E-mail: westmidlands@wea.org.uk

Website: www.westmidlands.wea.org.uk Write to us at: WEA Regional Office 4th Floor Lancaster House 67 Newhall Street Birmingham B3 1NQ

Twitter: www.twitter.com/weawm

Workers’ Educational Association. Registered charity number: 1112775.

Company limited by guarantee in England and Wales no: 2806910.

Registered office: 3rd floor, 70 Clifton Street, London, EC2A 4HB.

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