Introducing…
the Learning Campaigners
by Mark Lankshear

The Learning Campaigners have been busy at their relaunch and other events in the area. They’ve been helping people enrol on courses, but as Imran explained, it’s not all about getting people signed up.

“I like to sit with people, hear their problems, what they need, build up a rapport. I’ve been talking to a lot of Asian women who don’t want to leave their kids. There still aren’t enough crèche places for people on low incomes, but education is the way forward, it’s the only way out of poverty.”

Why did you want to become a Learning Campaigner?
I’ve always loved community work. When I was fourteen we entered the ‘Lifestyle’ competition and raised money for the Adventure Playground. First and second prizes were trips to Disneyland. We came third and went to Wales. We were still chuffed though.

How did you end up in Burngreave?
I’ve always lived here, 25 years. I went to Byron Wood when it was still Burngreave Middle School. My Dad came here to work in the steel industry in the 1960s. I’ve been to Pakistan a few times. I visited my Mum’s village in the mountains in Kashmir, ten miles from the border with India. It’s great, so different from here, no TV, lazing in the river, bringing back water with donkeys. At night the sky is lit up with bombs from the border, especially when there’s cricket on. It’s scary but it’s part of normal life and people just get on with it. What can you do?

So how’s the campaigning going?
Like clockwork. I’ve started working with Byron Wood, trying to put on after school clubs for parents and kids to ork together. A lot of parents don’t know what their children are studying, they didn’t do it themselves and don’t know who to ask. Many don’t even go to parent’s evenings.

I visited Birmingham where they’re putting on things for parents and kids, like ‘Dads and Lads’ cricket tournaments. It’s gone well there, they’ve got 6,000 people onto courses. I was lucky, my father cared about my education, but kids need to know who they can turn to. People have to take an interest in their child’s studies if they’re going to do well.

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 34, September 2003: Brendan
Issue 36, November 2003: Steph Briddon
Issue 37, December 2003: Glenroy Powel