Out and About in Barnsley
On Wednesday I spent time in Barnsley, visiting two providers in the area: Northern College, and Feels Like Home. It was really inspiring to see what two such diverse and interesting organisations were doing, and how they are supporting ESOL learners to socialise, gain confidence, and learn English.
Based in beautiful buildings in Wentworth Castle, Northern College is an FE college which provides ESOL classes on site and in community in Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield.
I visited on a lovely sunny day and was welcomed at the college open day, where I found out more about the college’s ESOL provision, Adult courses and their Ready to Work programme, which helps people build confidence and key skills for success in the workplace.
I was really pleased to be able to sit in on a class of E3/ L1 learners who come to college two days per week. they are employed by a local company, which gives them time to attend classes and improve their English. In the words of one of the learners, “this is a great opportunity for me, because I want to learn as much English as possible so I can advance in my job”
You can find more information about Northern College here.
Named by the people who come and use this service, Feels Like Home is a welcoming, calm and supportive space which is held weekly at the Learning Lab, in Barnsley Town Hall. As it takes place from 4-6pm, children can come along and do art and craft activities while their parents chat in English over a drink and a biscuit.
Joanna Newman, who runs the session, told me that the learners get involved in all sorts of activities, from visits to local sites of interests, to gardening, and even song writing!
I chatted with Jehan from Kurdistan, who has been coming for years and really values it as a friendly space to come, socialise and practise her English every week. Blanca from Colombia has just started coming with her son, and it is helping her to adjust to being in Barnsley. She has been able to start meeting new people and making friends, which is so important to help her feel less isolated and lonely in this new city.
You can find Feels Like Home on the Barnsley Museums page here.
