Introducing… the Learning Campaigners

As the Burngreave Learning Campaign gets underway, visiting Ellesmere last month and now moving on to Brunswick Road and Verdon Street, it might be your door they’re knocking on next. This month the Messenger met up with team member Brendan, to find out what they were up to.

“We’re getting in touch with people to find out if they’re interested in training, and then providing information and support to make it happen. At the end of the day it’s all about building people’s confidence.”

Why did you want to become a Learning Campaigner?
Education took a back seat for me when I was younger, but now I know how not having the qualifications holds you back. Lots of people have the skills but not the paper.

How did you end up in Burngreave?
As you can tell by my accent, I grew up in West Belfast where there’s a good community network. The government’s never been there for people so they learned to help each other out. Now the small groups that people started have grown into institutions. I moved here ten years ago and it seems similar. I worked as a steward in the Irish Centre and tried to open the doors to other groups, but we still lack big meeting places that are open to everyone, where everyone can mingle.

So how’s the campaigning going?
Good. There are 18 of us, and we’re all very different, some with degrees, some with no qualifications at all. We’ve been working on the summer school and taking on clients as well as door knocking. Even if only a couple of people on any one road are interested in courses just now, that’s still a success, and people are starting to get to know us.

Burngreave Community Learning Campaign are located in Forum House on Spital Hill and can be contacted on 279 4960.

Visit their new website at http://learning.burngreave.net

Other Learning Capaigner interviews:

Issue 31, May 2003: Sarah Aref-Taha
Issue 32, June 2003: Mick Twigg
Issue 35, October 2003: Imran Rafiq
Issue 36, November 2003: Steph Briddon
Issue 37, December 2003: Glenroy Powe