Learning Communities

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

CP Learning Trust has for the last five years been delviering and developing Learning Communities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.  This is made possible by funds secured through the East of England Development Agency's Investing in Communities funds, managed by Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership and Peterborough Regional Economic Partnership and the Local Authorities of Cambridge County Council and Peterborough City Council.

Learning Communities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough:

What is a Learning Community?

"A Learning Community is an aspiring and ambitious community where people are motivated and want to learn. Where people and organisations provide mutual support to help each other learn and raise the local employment skills base." (Government's Skills Strategy:21st Century Skills - Realising Your Potential).

A Learning Community is: Community led and Aspirational

The aim of a Learning Community is to:

•  Promote the direct involvement of residents in the community
•  Improve skills and employment opportunities
•  Involve the local providers and residents in the development of the learning community

Each Learning Community has a steering group made up of local residents, learning champions and providers of learning and employment.

•  Purpose of the steering group is to oversee the development of the Learning Community
•  To be representative of all service providers and key stakeholders in the ward Influence other  local groups or organisations in relation to Lifelong Learning
•  Facilitate communications between other relevant steering groups and partnerships

Each Learning Community has a Neighbourhood Learning Partnership (NLP), made up of Learning Champions directly recruited from people who live or work in that ward.

• Purpose of the NLP is to research the learning that residents want in the ward
• Feedback information from residents to the steering group
• Develop community capacity
• Develop new community initiatives
• Provide a link to learning with peer groups

Learning Champions are:

•  volunteers who live or work in the community
•  actively involved in community life at grass roots level
•  advocates for the benefits of learning
•  able to encourage people to take part in learning
•  actively promote learning opportunities
•  able to identify and support new learners