Organisations harness the power of learning to support families in their communities

This year’s Family Learning Award shortlist, shows how organisations are using imaginative, innovative and inclusive ways to deliver learning opportunities which help families in their communities.

The awards, organised by education charity Campaign for Learning, celebrate learning activities that supported families during lockdown and beyond and supported health and wellbeing.

As to be expected, some of the top priorities for organisations were focused around the significant changes to how learning is delivered beyond the pandemic, keeping families connected, boosting mental health and ensuring everyone can access opportunities to learn.

Many practitioners developed innovative virtual and blended learning opportunities for families and found new ways of working, addressing current learning needs as well as those identified or amplified by recent world events.

The Building Brighter Futures through Family Learning Award particularly recognised organisations that demonstrated how they innovated, adapted, and delivered family learning. The organisations highlighted in this category were able to share what they learnt and how this has shaped their learning offer to support families to progress. The shortlisted organisations are:

• Rotherham Creative Learning Centre
• Staffordshire County Council -Community Learning
• Sutton College
• V&A Dundee

The Early Years are particularly important as they lay the foundations for lifelong learning, behaviour, and health. The Family Learning in the Early Years Award shortlist recognised organisations that best demonstrated innovative approaches to delivering family learning aimed at families with children between 0-5. The shortlisted organisations are:

• Adult and Community Learning, Warwickshire
• Buckinghamshire Adult Learning
• Learning Unlimited
• The Whitworth Art Gallery

Family learning can be the perfect opportunity to empower both adults and children to take control of their physical and mental health. The Family Learning to Support Health and Wellbeing Award shortlist recognised organisations that best demonstrated innovative approaches to deliver family learning that supported health and wellbeing. The shortlisted organisations are:

• Art at the Start: University of Dundee and Dundee Contemporary Arts
• Scottish Sports Futures
• Ultra Education
• Westminster Adult Education Service

Juliette Collier, National Director (Families) at the Campaign for Learning said:

“The Family Learning Awards celebrate the inspirational work of organisations that create wonderful learning opportunities for families. This year’s awards demonstrate the ingenuity and tenacity of learning providers in delivering life-changing learning through the most challenging times. We congratulate the shortlisted organisations on their deserved success and thank everyone who took part for recognising and valuing the crucial role of families as the foundation for lifelong learning.”

To read about the 2022 Family Learning Award Shortlist visit, www.familylearningfestival.com/family-learning-awards-1