Creative and Innovative Communities Learning Project
Liverpool Personal and Community Development (PCDL) Partnership is a collaboration of partners working together to develop, deliver, promote and monitor a strong, diverse PCDL offer across local neighborhoods that will engage local people and contribute towards the Liverpool Plan. Liverpool Adult Learning Service (LALS) leads the partnership.
The aim of the Creative and Innovative Communities project was to pool resources and expertise to roll out a range of informal learning activities for individuals not usually involved in learning. It aimed to take learning out into the community, targeting the 5 most deprived wards in the area.
A number of taster sessions were delivered including cookery and healthy eating, knitting and sewing, music and singing, reading groups, poetry and reading, media and photography, enterprise development. Taster sessions were also offered at a 'Through the Eye of the Tiger' learning event.
A pitch was set up for 4 weeks on market day and a wide range of tasters and information were available including pottery, jewellery making from junk, renovation, woodworking skills and entrepreneurship, alternative therapies, IT and digital photography. An empty shop unit of a busy local shopping centre was opened up for 6 weeks at which a range of workshops was delivered.
Finally, the project produced an online basic skills resource for the new Museum of Liverpool and updated existing basic skills resources.
The project succeeded in developing new partnerships with a range of organisations laying the foundations for future collaborative working. Learning Champions were involved at the planning and delivery stages. They had a crucial role in promoting the value of learning and recruiting/signposting new learners to the activities on offer.
The project exceeded targets and succeeded in engaging new and different groups of learners; people going about their everyday business, in market and shopping mall situations. Projects were well received and well attended with over 1500 learners engaged and over 600 learners taking part in a learning taster session.
For this project, it was important to ensure that the skills and knowledge gained could be utilised in the future; that there were progression routes into further learning or participation in local communities. It showed how informal learning can and does break down barriers.
Liverpool Personal and Community Development (PCDL) Partnership
Liverpool Adult Learning Service
1st Floor Millennium House
Victoria Street
Liverpool
L1 6JF
