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Learning Partnerships is a Leeds-based education charity, established
in 1990, that works with children, young people and their families.
We
run a number of projects aimed at enhancing the life chances of
people in some of the most deprived estates of the country.
Our
work concentrates on the 12 inner city wards of Leeds, six of which
are eligible for European Objective 2 funding. The Index of Deprivation
2000 identified seven wards as being in the ten per cent most deprived
wards nationally. [Source: Leeds Economy Handbook 2003]
The
community is characterised by poor housing, low skills, low educational
attainment, high unemployment, single parent families and large
ethnic minority populations
All
Learning Partnerships' projects are needs-driven, with many staff
employed from the communities we work with. Through their local
knowledge - coupled with extensive research - we can plug the gaps
left by other agencies.
Basic
skills
An example of this is our Skillzone project - a basic skills programme
for adults who are speakers of other languages. Skillzone breaks
down barriers to learning such as language, culture or access by
working with individuals or small groups in community centres or
the student's own living room. More than 70 per cent of students
go onto a mainstream adult education class in basic skills.
Our
research has also found a great need for children to be given extra
support with their literacy. To this end, we recruit volunteers
from local businesses and the community to help children aged seven
to 12 on a one-to-one basis every week.
Reading with a volunteer for 12 weeks can improve a child's reading
age by six months. Since the project began, more than 7,000 children
have benefited from the scheme, which runs in schools and community
centres.
Learning
Partnerships has been awarded two education action zones - one covers
Beeston and Holbeck the other Harehills, Chapeltown and Burmantofts.
We are the only voluntary sector organisation in the country to
lead any Excellence in Cities education action zones. The zones
benefit children in 12 primary schools and two high schools. The
aim is to introduce innovative approaches to learning which have
an impact on attainment, attendance and behaviour.
Youth
projects
We have also been awarded three national youth projects. Millennium
Volunteers encourages 16-24 year olds to volunteer in their local
community. This gives community organisations an extra resource
and the young people new skills to put on their CV.
The
Neighbourhood Support Fund re-engages young people aged 13-19 who
are not in employment, education or training through mediums such
as sport, arts and the environment.
Xperience
9 gives 18/19 year olds who are on a low income the chance to volunteer
full time for up to nine months in an area of their interest. For
this they get a weekly living allowance of £45 and an award
of up to £750.
Our
Family Learning programme is also growing from strength to strength.
Every year we hold an annual Family Learning Day, at which children
and their parents/carers have fun learning together with a series
of workshops.
We
have also started to run Parent Groups - again at the request of
the local community. The groups explore issues such as self-esteem,
health and nutrition, isolation, behaviour and anger management
and culture.
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