Community Learning
Connect and engage with your community through learning
We pride ourselves on how closely we work with local communities across the city. We work in partnership with schools, children’s centres, libraries, faith organisations and community venues and groups to engage people in learning.
Our short courses, workshops and Talk English Clubs are designed to build your confidence, develop your skills and connect you with people, places and spaces in your community.
Benefits of community learning courses and workshops:
Connect with your community: You will have the opportunity to connect with your community in a meaningful way and build relationships with like-minded individuals.
Improved communication: By collaborating with others and getting involved in conversations you will have lots of opportunities to practice and develop your ability to express yourself effectively.
Tailor your learning: These courses are designed to help you focus on what matters to you most. Whether that’s wellbeing, improving your English, sustainability or volunteering – the choice is yours.
Short courses
We offer a range of short courses that run once a week for four to six weeks. Courses take place in a range of venues around Manchester and are a great way to boost your skills and confidence.
If you’re a parent or carer, Skills for Parents will help you develop the skills to support your children to do well at school. You’ll improve your knowledge of what and how children learn at school, feel more confident communicating with their teachers, and identify ways you can support your child’s learning at home.
Through Skills for Health, you will find out more about how to access the health information and services you and your family need. You’ll develop your communication skills so you will feel more confident talking to health professionals, as well as learn to use the NHS website and app to find the information and services you need.
On this course, you’ll learn five steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. The five steps are:
- Connect
- Take Notice
- Be Active
- Give
- Keep Learning.
Each session will look at a different step and explore how it can help your wellbeing. You’ll also take part in activities related to the five steps and find out about services and activities in your local area so you can include the steps in your daily life.
If you want to learn more about how you can help protect our planet for future generations, Sustainability and You! will help you to understand the basics of climate change and consider your carbon footprint. In the sessions, you’ll explore some practical ways in which you can shop and eat more sustainably, save energy (and money) in your home, and work with others to make a cleaner, greener future for everyone.
If you’d like to volunteer, Get Ready to Volunteer will help you to think about what kind of volunteering you want to do and how to find opportunities. We’ll help you identify the skills and qualities you have to offer and understand the expectations of volunteers, as well as help you to find and apply for volunteering opportunities.
Talk English volunteers support people to practise speaking English in a safe, friendly Talk English course or club. On this course, you’ll learn more about our Talk English learners, clubs and courses, and how you can support them to develop their English skills and confidence.
Developed in partnership with Manchester Museum, this course is for people who want to volunteer in a museum or gallery. On this course, you’ll learn how you can help people make the most of their visit, as well as develop your knowledge, skills and confidence when talking to people about different collections and exhibits.
Workshops
We offer one-off group workshops on a range of topics which typically run for 2-3 hours.
Health and wellbeing
- Using NHS Information and Services: During this workshop, you will learn all about how to find and access the health information and services that you need.
- Staying Well this Winter: Through this workshop, we’ll teach you how to protect yourself and your family from winter illnesses.
- 5 Steps for Wellbeing: In this workshop you will find out about ways to feel more positive and get the most out of your life.
For parents and carers
Delivered in schools and childcare settings, these workshops allow parents and carers to share their experiences and explore common concerns with each other. Workshops include:
- Talk, Play, Learn: In this workshop, our team will explore the topic of how children learn through talking and playing.
- Reading Together: This workshop explores how as a parent/carer you can support your child’s reading at home.
- Healthy Habits, Healthy Children: During this workshop, our team will promote and share tips on healthy habits such as food, exercise, sleep and self-care and how this can have a positive impact on children.
- Online Safety and Screentime: This workshop covers ways on how to keep children safe while online and how to have a healthy digital diet.
Talk English
Through our Talk English programme, we offer beginner English courses to help you improve your language skills, access services and get more involved in the community.
If you are learning English, you can come along to one of our Talk English Clubs to practise speaking English and meet other people. To join, all you need to do is complete an assessment on gmesol.org or by emailing communitylearning@manchester.gov.uk
Work with our Community Learning team
If you’re an organisation who is interested in offering any of the courses or workshops delivered by our Community Learning team, you will need the following:
- A group of at least eight adults who are willing to attend the course/workshop.
- A suitable, safe teaching space for the group and teacher to deliver the session.
We will provide:
- A qualified teacher for the duration of the course
- Marketing and promotion of the course/workshop
- Relevant learning materials
- Enrolment support at the start of the course
- Learner progression at the end of the course
Sound good? All you need to do is complete our Community Learning Course and Workshop Request form once you have identified the needs of your service users and organisation, as well as when and where you would like to offer the course or workshop.
We will then review your request and contact you to let you know if we can deliver this.
