About London WEA

London WEA runs a wide range of learning programmes in the community, the workplace and through local branches across the region.

Our courses range from Basic Skills to Botany; from Community Interpreting to Contemporary Literature; from Digital Media to Dance; from Egyptology to English as a Second Language and from Health and Safety to Helping in Schools.

What these wide range of programmes share in common are the following WEA values:

Creating equality and opportunity, and challenging discrimination
Believing in people, communities and their potential to change through Education
Putting the learner at the centre of everything we do
Challenging and questioning ourselves

Some facts about London:

Size
Since 1989, London's population has grown by 600 000 to 7.4 million. By 2016, the population will rise by another 700 000 to over 8 million.

Diversity
More than 300 languages are spoken in London. London is home to 46.4% of England’s minority ethnic population, with 30.7% of London’s population belong to minority ethnic groups.

London is home to more than a million disabled people.

The London boroughs provide support to 18,275 asylum seekers.

26.3% of London households with dependent children are headed by a lone parent.

Education
643,000 of working age people in London have no qualifications. Some 48% of Londoners have low numeracy levels, and 20% have low literacy levels.

Wealth
London is a prosperous city with a GDP per capita figure 42% above the UK average, in spite of economic activity rates among adults lower than the national average.

London’s GDP is £120 billion - if it were a country it would rank in the top 15 world economies.

Poverty and Disadvantage
Although London is one of the richest regions in the EU, the distribution of wealth is uneven and levels of extreme deprivation are concentrated in specific areas.

Unemployment is relatively high compared to the national average. There are more unemployed people in London (263,000) than in Scotland and Wales put together (142,000 and 62,000 respectively).

Three out of the five most deprived councils in England are London boroughs.

Click here to download the Annual Report 2009

Key challenges facing London include:

the promotion of social inclusion
ensuring that those who are currently inactive are not denied access to employment opportunities
Learning opportunities for groups such as refugees and asylum seekers, lone parents, the homeless, older people (50+) and those belonging to ethnic minorities
Targeting those who suffer multiple barriers to participation in the labour market.

WEA Background & History:

What does "WEA" stand for?...

WEA stands for the Workers’ Educational Association. Founded in 1903 to support the education needs of working men and women, the WEA provides education and learning for adults from all backgrounds, especially those who have previously missed out.

One of the UK’s biggest charities, the WEA operates at local and national levels. Nine regions in England, a Scottish Association and over 650 local branches make up the WEA nationally.

What does it do?

The WEA now runs over 10,000 courses each year, providing learning for 110,000 adults of all ages from all walks of life.

If you would like to find out more...

Click on this link to visit the National Association website:

http://www.wea.org.uk