The importance of citizenship
Posted: March 14, 2014 Filed under: Erasmus+, Grundtvig | Tags: Erasmus+, EY2013, grundtvig, Inclusion Leave a commentWith European and local elections just around the corner, we thought we would share some of the key points from an event highlighting EU citizenship and social inclusion, as well as some exciting news from one of our projects which exemplifies this within the Lifelong Learning Programme.
Celebrating 50 years of CSV and award winning projects
Last week I attended a seminar in Birmingham which included an insightful conversation with MEPs led by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Community Service Volunteers (CSV) and the Open University. It was organised as part of the EU for You Project, which aims to build awareness of the wider concept of EU citizenship and encourage society to engage with European policy-making. Last year the NCVO worked with the CSV to co-ordinate a range of activities promoting participation in governance, basic rights and inclusive citizenship as part of the European Year of Citizens 2013.
The final speaker at the event was Oonagh Aitken, Director for Social Action, Volunteering, Policy and Fundraising at CSV, who spoke about the benefits and impact of some of the organisation’s projects promoting social inclusion. She explained that the organisation, which has recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, is hoping to give more people the opportunity to go abroad and undertake mobilities in Erasmus+.
The Eviva project
The charity recently shared some great news that their Eviva Grundtvig Senior Volunteering project had been voted as the best exchange in the programme by the Italian National Agency. The Eviva project linked CSV’s successful retired and senior volunteering project in the UK with CESAVO volunteer bureau in Italy with the aim of increasing learning opportunities for older people through volunteering.
Each organisation sent six volunteers on a three week exchange with a focus on learning from their partners’ work with disabled people and befriending the socially isolated. One volunteer who works as part of their telephone befriending service explained that she was grateful to learn new approaches from the Italian bureau’s similar service:
“I have learned a lot about the Italian social system, old people’s homes and schools and I feel that I would like to instil the same sense of commitment in the RSVP members in London that I have experienced in Savona.” CSV senior volunteer
The exchange has been included as a star project on the European Shared Treasure database and you can read more about the exchange and subsequent visits on the Eviva project’s website.
For more information about mobility opportunties for Adult Education staff, please visit the Erasmus+ website.
Breaking down barriers
Posted: November 12, 2013 Filed under: Grundtvig | Tags: grundtvig, Inclusion, London, Refugee, Social exclusion Leave a commentThe Annual NIACE Dysgu Cymru Adult Community Learning Conference took place in Cardiff this month looking at the role of community learning and the wider agenda of the Welsh Government tackling poverty in 2013. As one in five of the UK population live below our official poverty line, and with a number of Lifelong Learning Programme projects aiming to solve the problem of social exclusion, we look at one Grundtvig partnership promoting social cohesion through working with some of London’s diverse migrant communities.
The British Refugee Council’s EDIT project has brought together partners from Romania, Denmark and the United Kingdom, all of which support adult learners, including migrants, refugees and ethnic minorities.
The Grundtvig partnership project aims to improve access to education, training and employment opportunities so those involved can become proactive citizens who contribute towards developing a more cohesive, inclusive and tolerant Europe. Working together, the partners have been successful in achieving a range of outputs and activities throughout the project: identifying the barriers which prevent social inclusion and integration.
‘This has given me 10 extra years’ – Arthur’s Grundtvig experience
Posted: April 26, 2013 Filed under: Grundtvig, Lifelong Learning Programme, Uncategorized | Tags: active ageing, Adult Learning, digital, Inclusion, Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, opportunities, silver surfers day, spring online week Leave a commentArthur Mills age 83, undertook a Grundtvig Visits & Exchanges activity in Spain, where he met other adult learners from a variety of countries, all eager to participate in the “E-skills to change the lives of 50+” activity.
Arthur has always been interested in technology, and the new knowledge gained from the visit to Spain has further enhanced his interest and enthusiasm. Arthur had never used a keyboard until he was 76 but his life has been transformed by technology over the last 7 years.
Springing into sustainable and inclusive growth
Posted: March 20, 2013 Filed under: Grundtvig, Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Mobility | Tags: Europe, Europe 2020, growth, Inclusion, Leonardo Mobility, llpukecorys, senior volunteering, sustainable growth Leave a commentToday is officially the first day of spring, the time where the roots have bedded down and the first shoots start appearing. This might be a rather tenuous link but it started me thinking about the opportunities for growth and how the lifecycle of our projects enable new branches to sprout and develop.
Growth is a priority under the EU2020 objectives with sustainable and inclusive growth a focus. Continuing on the theme of growth, I thought I’d highlight some of our projects that look at the greener side of things. Many of our projects focus on conservation, nature and the environment, working to help communities and individuals through green-centered education. Looking first at Leonardo, the 2011 Mobility funded Parks & Gardens Apprenticeship Scheme, organised by Cardiff Council, provided apprentices with a new understanding of the techniques and processes involved in horticulture: Read the rest of this entry »
Leonardo, Grundtvig and Transversal in 2012
Posted: February 18, 2013 Filed under: Grundtvig, Leonardo, Transversal | Tags: 2012, annual report, funding, grundtvig, In Focus briefing papers, Inclusion, information days, leonardo, social media, transversal Leave a commentEach year we produce a final report that highlights everything that we have achieved over the past year. Building on the success of the previous year, 2012 saw a rise in applications, an increase in funding across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as increased engagement on our social media channels.
This year we’ve produced an interactive map that showcases some of our key moments from 2012:
Looking to the future
2013 will see Leonardo, Grundtvig and Transversal draw to a close under the Lifelong Learning Programme and be replaced by the next funding programme, Erasmus for All. However, we will still be working hard in 2012 and will be sharing our, and our projects’, successes with you on our websites, our blog and Twitter as well as on our soon to be launched Facebook page.
If you have a statistic about your project that you would like to share with us why not leave a comment below or tweet @llpUKecorys? We’d love to hear, for example, how many participants you have been able to send abroad due to Leonardo Mobility funding or how many days you spent job shadowing thanks to Grundtvig Assistantship funding. Share your successes with us!
So What Changed…
Posted: December 5, 2012 Filed under: Grundtvig, Lifelong Learning Programme | Tags: grundtvig, Inclusion, Lifelong Learning Programme, llpukecorys, Partnerships Leave a commentMany of the projects we fund work closely with people that face social exclusion to ensure that they are not only included in their local community but that they also have the opportunity to learn throughout their lives. One of these projects is run by developing partners cic (dp) a social enterprise organisation that is led and run by people with long-term mental health needs working in partnership with diverse people who experience social exclusion.
Recently dp has been involved with a Grundtvig Partnership project called New Knowledge – New Life Quality, which looks at how dp motivates adult learners from diverse background to learn and develop craft skills, skills which many people from different cultures share, and will exchange and share these skills and experiences with their partners from across Europe.
Leading the evaluation aspect of the project, dp produced a tool called ‘body mapping’. Asking the question, ‘So What Changed?’ members were encouraged to use their own body silhouette to share what impact the organisation has had on their lives.
Is enough being done to support an ageing Europe?
Posted: October 1, 2012 Filed under: Grundtvig, Lifelong Learning Programme | Tags: active ageing, Adult Learning, Europe 2020, european commission, EY2012, Inclusion, intergenerational learning, Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, llpukecorys, senior volunteering 1 CommentToday we celebrate Older People’s Day across Europe, as it is also the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (EY2012) it is the chance to raise awareness of the issues, challenges and barriers facing the older generation.
Picture of an ageing Europe
It has been well researched that the population of Europe is an ageing one, and people of 60, 70, 80 or above still make a valuable contribution to our local, regional and national communities. There are more people in the UK that are of a pensionable age than there are at school, across Europe life expectancy is rising while the number of people being born is decreasing. Initiatives such as the EY2012 and Older Peoples day are helping to raise awareness of our older generation and how the generations can work together for the benefit of all.
I can take, for example, my own parents who have both recently turned 60, both are still active and still in work but if they suddenly faced unemployment, how easy would it be for them to remain active citizens? Well, I know from the funding we provide as the National Agency that they could be involved as Senior Volunteers through Grundtvig funding. If they wanted to return to employment the default retirement age is being phased out in the UK so would mean that they could continue to work as long as they were fit and healthy, they would also be protected against age discrimination through the Equality Act. Read the rest of this entry »
Inspiring a generation
Posted: September 12, 2012 Filed under: Lifelong Learning Programme | Tags: Erasmus+, Inclusion, Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, sport Leave a commentReportedly more than 4 million people visited the Olympic Park for the London 2012 games over the Summer. I was lucky enough to be one of those people and as I arrived at the Olympic Park what immediately struck me was the enormity of the whole event. From the sheer scale of the park, to being greeted by the excellent ‘games makers’, through to seeing proud Olympians holding aloft their medals, the dedication by all involved to make this ‘the greatest show on earth’ totally shone through.
With so many sports on offer, it was quite a challenge to decide which to see, but amongst the several events I saw was the very popular Goalball. This is a game which combines skill, judgement, concentration and excellent spatial awareness as athletes with varying degrees of visual impairment compete wearing eyeshades.
Read the latest edition of edUKation
Posted: September 5, 2012 Filed under: Grundtvig, Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Transversal | Tags: apprentices, Erasmus+, grundtvig, Inclusion, leonardo, Leonardo Mobility, llpukecorys, Partnerships, transversal, vocational education 1 CommentThe latest edition of edUKation is now available to download. edUKation is our quarterly newsletter containing updates from the Leonardo, Grundtvig and Transversal programmes.
In this edition
In issue 20 you can read about how Filton College is supporting the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence with the help of the Leonardo programme. You can also read about:
- Erasmus for All: a diary of events
- Developing successful partnerships
- Inclusion, celebrating Lifelong Learning for All
Download issue 20 of edUKation
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Previous editions
You can find previous editions of edUKation in our resource centre.
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