Community learning champions (CLCs), supported by governments of all complexions in the UK as part of a strategy to promote informal learning, share their enthusiasm for the benefits of learning by engaging with friends, relatives and perfect strangers and getting them involved.

As volunteers, they provide support and mentoring for peers and also organise learning events themselves. They have proved their effectiveness in reaching out to others. The attached article – which appeared in Adult Learning – provides a progress report on the national support programme funded by the government and offers a flavour of CLC activities.  The final report showed that 2000 CLCs were able to involve 100,000 people in meaningful learning activities of all kinds.  The article and the final report were written by Martin Yarnit and the support programme’s project manager, Liz Cousins.

The programme continues albeit with a much reduced level of national support. The website contains a full account of the project, case studies and a series of short films.