Our first port of call was Language Tuition Nottingham (LTN), a language school which provides ESOL, Cert TESOL, IELTS and conversational English. I often notice flags of all nationalities in ESOL classrooms and language schools, and it was particularly refreshing to see flags being flown as a genuine expression of welcome and pride in multiculturalism.

We then visited Refugee Roots, who provide free ESOL and food in several different venues across Nottingham. On this day, there were pre-Entry, Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3 classes being taught by regular volunteer tutors   – some of whom have been with Refugee Roots for 20 years – supplemented by student volunteers from Nottingham Trent University.

In Derby the next day we visited the Bosnia and Herzegovina Centre, who host thriving ESOL classes in a lovely new building which the council built for their use when their old building had to be compulsorily purchased. The Association’s inception lies in the activities of Bosnian refugees during the war in the 1990s, with Bosnians wanting to give back to the communities which welcomed them at this time.