Published: Wednesday 12 October 2022
Kensington and Chelsea featured at the Mayor of London’s first Adult Learning Awards this month – with nominees from a number of Kickstart employers and Adult Learning Providers from across the borough and musical entertainment provided by the Adult Learning Band from Morley College London.
One K&C winner was an inspirational young person, who overcame a visual impairment to transform the social media presence of local business Pink Tea Café, Ghazal Mottaghi. Her talent for showcasing their speciality teas and artisan chai blends on Instagram led to her well-deserved win of the Learning for Good Work Award. Ghazal was a part of Kensington and Chelsea Council’s Kickstart Scheme providing funding to create new jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who were at risk of long term unemployment. Watch her story in this video.
Proving that it’s never too late, Yvonne Kazeem, who has attended a number of digital skills courses with Council partner Open Age, received a highly commended mention for the Learning for Personal Progression award.
Celebrating the role of learning in personal development, St Giles Trust won the Distinguished Provider of Adult Education award, and local businesses Simone de Gale Architects and the Portobello Business Centre were also nominated for their work in the Kickstart scheme. Both received highly commended mentions under the Learning for Good Work Employer of the Year category.
Following the awards announcement, Cllr Josh Rendall, Lead Member for Local Economy and Employment said:
Our fantastic Kensington and Chelsea adult learning programme supports learning from young to old, working with a collection of partners to provide creative courses that serve our community from 19-year-olds to the over 50s.
That’s why it was wonderful to see this first of its kind Adult Learning Awards event honour both our borough’s older learners as well as our young people, who are equally committed to enriching their lives through learning.
Gaining new skills as an adult has never been easier. Whether it’s a course in digital skills, English or entrepreneurship, it’s never too late to add more strings to your bow and progress to the next level. If you’re interested in improving your skills and would like to find out about the support available in Kensington and Chelsea, visit webtest.rbkc.gov.uk/adultlearning.
To get involved with any of the organisations recognised by this year's Mayor’s Adult Learning Awards in the borough contact:
St Giles Trust who offer personalised employment advice at [email protected].
Open Age provides courses for those over 50 to stretch your imagination and social circles, as well as maintain your flexibility and mobility. See their wide range of classes at www.openage.org.uk/adult-community-learning-courses.
Portobello Business Centre has two upcoming events – 26 October 2022 – introduction to self-employment, and 23 November 2022 – Meet the experts (“Make Your Business Grow in a Digital World”) and Visit www.pbc.co.uk for full details.