It’s not always easy to admit, but the frenetic pace of activity that comes with working within one of London’s busiest adult education colleges can sometimes cause you to lose sight of the bigger picture. To overlook the small, everyday stories that make this sector such a rewarding environment to work in. I believe we can all benefit from taking a step back from time to time to fully appreciate the difference adult education can make - whether big or small - on an individual’s self-esteem and wellbeing.

Earlier this month, City Lit hosted our annual awards ceremony, celebrating our extraordinary students and staff, and the transformation adult learning can bring. During the evening we heard a number of incredible stories from across our community, demonstrating the opportunities that lifelong learning can open up to Londoners of all ages, circumstances and backgrounds.

‘Duty to help’

The stories we witnessed at our awards ceremony brought home to me the tenacity, ambition and commitment of our adult learners. For some, a course was the next step towards professional advancement, for others, an escape from difficult personal circumstances. Personal goals and motivations naturally differed from student to student. However, all of our winners were connected by one common denominator - a real joy of learning.

We believe passionately that Londoners should always have the opportunity to try something new, whatever their situation. Nobody should be restricted from taking on new challenges and achieving personal milestones. This was epitomised on the evening by a memorable performance by the Percussion Orchestra, a group of students with learning difficulties that have teamed up with musicians from the Royal Academy of Music to create incredible music.

Another inspiring award winner on the evening was Sally, a dance student. Last year, Sally was diagnosed with breast cancer, but continued to persevere on her course even during weeks of chemotherapy, refusing to let her illness define her. Sally embodies a growing trend we are seeing become more and more common within our sector - a learner refusing to conform to the idea of a linear three-act life (school, career and family, retirement). Instead, she is actively embracing new challenges even in retirement and continues to evolve her learning even amid immense personal difficulty. She exemplifies how adult learning can be transformative, whether for respite or for ongoing development.  

Investment needed

We believe we have a duty to help certain groups and demographics underserved by the existing provision within London to reach their full potential. Speech therapy provision is a case in point. Two volunteers from our speech therapy department were winners on the night. They both carry out incredible work in their communities, but as over 60 per cent of NHS trusts in London no longer provide a service to adults who stammer, it falls on colleges and centres such as ourselves to fill a vacuum and help plug the gap in provision, something we couldn’t do without the help of a committed group of volunteers.

We also heard from one student who has battled back from addiction and homelessness to go to university. Homelessness as an issue in London isn’t going to go away anytime soon - in fact it’s risen seven per cent in the last year. We work closely with housing charity Thames Reach to help people begin the process of turning their life around through the opportunities provided by adult learning courses. It is always rewarding to witness examples of how adult education schemes can make that difference at a personal level. However, significant progress in tackling issues such as homelessness and our ability to serve other disadvantaged groups will always be checked without continual recognition from the government of the vital work adult education carries out - often under the radar - to improve the situation of Londoners most in need of support.

We were privileged to hear several inspirational stories at our awards ceremony. Nonetheless, many of the uplifting stories of transformation we heard also acted as a cautionary reminder that the adult education sector needs sustained investment if is going to continue to act as the ballast transforming so many people’s lives. 

Phil Chamberlain is Executive Director or External Engagement at City Lit. You can watch highlights from the City Lit Awards here

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