Out & About: A much-loved community centre and hub for entry-level ESOL learners.
MESH Kirklees and Calderdale Development Worker Mary Begley has been Out & About meeting staff and volunteers at Ravensthorpe Community Centre near Dewsbury, Yorkshire.
I have been out and about near Mirfield and Dewsbury, at Ravensthorpe Community Centre, a beautiful old building which is a former St John Ambulance HQ. There is nothing old or shabby about Ravensthorpe however – in fact, quite the contrary – everywhere was looking very clean and spruced up for its upcoming 25th anniversary in April 2025. Bright photos were being hung gallery-style in the lobby and stairwell, and information boards were being carefully prepared by staff and volunteers.
Ravensthorpe is a shining example of a well-loved community centre. It’s not just the many ESOL and wider learning classes that go on here, and the other groups which are based here, such as the nursery, the Age-Well Hope Cafe, and the Dementia & Cancer Hub. It’s the passion of the staff for what they do. I spent a few hours talking with a group of ESOL tutors and volunteers who taught IT, art and other wider learning, and – to a woman – they loved their community, loved their centre and loved their role there.
Each member of staff I spoke to agreed that ESOL classes are not just about English. They’re about mental health, empowering people – especially women – learning about each other’s cultures, and for some people, they are an act of resistance and determination to look forward and to move away from restrictions. I spoke to staff about their own pathways to ESOL and wider learning teaching. Several tutors had started off as learners, then become volunteers, then done courses to progress. Ravensthorpe is a lovely local example of pride in and giving back to the community that nurtured you. Find out more about Ravensthorpe Community Centre on their website here and on our Learning English in Yorkshire and the Humber website here.
