Firststep will be running new courses starting April 2009.
'ESOL with IT' will help you gain basic skills in reading, writing and speaking English.
At Creative Homework Club we have facilities where children can complete their homework, make PowerPoint presentations, do web searches and use interactive creative games. As well as this we have Play Space which is a healthy living project that combines physical games, dance, sport and incorporates creative learning.
How Do I Enrol?
If you would like to be added to our mailing list. Please ring our learning administrator on 0207 245 2865.
Our Preparation for Work course equips you with the skills, knowledge and confidence to get into employment after a break, or for the first time.
Our learners are of all ages and are from varied backgrounds. Firststep’s safe and rewarding environment encourages you to develop your abilities through practical sessions on C.V. writing, interview technique and confidence-building, and signposts you to future career opportunities.
The courses (3 hours, once a week) are free to all, and run each term over a period of ten weeks. All who complete the course will receive an OCN level 1 accreditation.
For more information, or to enrol for the April 2009 term, please contact:
Narelle Willis
Learning Administrator
Vital Regeneration
020 7245 2865
Vital Regeneration’s Annual Awards event was held on Thursday 29th November at The Greenside Community Centre. Learners who have been studying at Firststep.com and Queens Park New Media Centre during 2006/2007 came together to celebrate their hard work and dedication for the year. The event was opened by Lyndon Sly (Vital Regeneration Trustee) and presentations were made by the Lord Mayor of Westminster.
Special awards were given to individuals on the Local Labour Initiative Apprenticeships programme and HELP (Homelessness Employment & Learning Project). These were presented by Brian Johnson (Chief Executive CityWest Homes), Grahame Hindes (Chief Executive Octavia Housing), Marie Snelling and Tom Harding (City of Westminster Council).
The event was a huge success and it was good to see so many learners, volunteers and tutors receiving awards.
(Photograph courtesy of Georgie Scott.)
Focus Group Meeting
When: Thursday 28th June 2007
Time: 3pm – 4.30pm
At firststep.com
Come along to our meeting. We would really like to hear how you have been getting on in your courses at Firststep.com. We value your feedback and ideas so we can continue to help firststep.com thrive and offer the best possible courses in the future. Please come and see Lorraine if you would like to join in. Tea and biscuits will be provided.
The Learning and Employment Advice Service provides advice and guidance for residents across Westminster, assisting people to access employment, training and volunteer opportunities.
Our Learning and Employment Advisors are on hand to help with:
o Careers Advice
o CV writing
o Providing information on jobs in the local area.
Our Advisors help people find and apply for employment and training opportunities they are interested in.
We also offer help with brokerage and support services as part of the Westminster Apprenticeship Scheme, supporting young people to get in and stay in apprenticeships of their choice.
We currently provide advice sessions at the Greenside Community Centre on Monday and Thursday mornings. Please contact us on the information below to book an appointment.
Contact:
Vital Advice on 020 7641 5814
vitaladvice@cwh.org.uk
Firststep’s Annual Awards event was held on Tuesday 24th October at The Greenside Community Centre. Learners who have been studying at Firststep.com came together to celebrate their hard work and dedication for the year. Aisana, who volunteered at the Greenside as part of the local residents association volunteering scheme during the summer, provided beautiful background music playing the Santur. The proceedings began with a speech by the Chair of Vital Regeneration David Bowler, followed by Councillors Barbara Grahame and Anthony Mothersdale who presented the awards. There was also a presentation by the young people from the Club Create Course (tutored by Emily Clay) who showcased their cityscape project. Everyone enjoyed themselves and it was good to see so many learners receiving certificates.
Being a full time mother does not leave much time for learning. However Firststep.com has a different attitude to this statement. We aim to introduce a learning environment to anyone interested.
On the last day of the Firststep.com term parents who attend Room 2 Play had the opportunity to explore the world of IT with our Open Access facilitator Alla. They had access to laptops that were set up in the Greenside Community Centre.
Alla introduced parents to the various programmes and courses available. There was a hands-on test where parents were sharing their knowledge of computing, learning what other skills they could gain by trying the programmes available on the computers.
The most successful part of the workshop was taking pictures with the integrated laptop camera and saving to CDs. Children were very excited to do this together with their parent and they had something to take away and show to their family and friends.
Volunteers' Week (1-7 June) is the UK's annual celebration of the important work volunteers do. During this week, events are held across the country to recognise, reward and recruit volunteers.
This year, Vital Regeneration invited volunteers from across their projects for an afternoon tea at The Greenside Community Centre to celebrate and recognise their dedication and hard work. Amongst those present were Justine Davy (volunteer receptionist at The Greenside Community Centre), Maria Sousa (volunteer support tutor for after school clubs), Marcela Carrion (volunteer Summer Programme Co-ordinator) and members of Lisson Green Tenants and Residents Association who volunteer on a regular basis to deliver a wide range of activities for local residents.
It was a glorious sunny day, which encouraged Firststep.com’s Digital Photography Class to join in the fun. Barry Lanham who attends this course was very enthusiastic and marked the day by taking a photograph of everyone! Many thanks to all who attended and to those who have volunteered in the past for Vital Regeneration and for your hard work over the last year.
Children at The Greenside Community Centre homework club have been learning about recycling thanks to a Big Lottery Fund grant of £61,005 from the Community Recycling and Economic Development (CRED) Programme.
15 children attended the recycling workshop run by Vital Regeneration Neighbourhood Recycling Officer Marie Monaghan at The Greenside Community Centre after school homework club on 6 April 2006. One of the barriers faced by residents in Central London is that they have no environmentally friendly way to dispose of green waste as many do not have gardens. To show them that they can compost even without a garden, Marie helped the children to make a wormery and showed them what types of household waste could be composted in it.
Marie said “These children live in primarily dense housing and many of them don’t have gardens – we hope that this afternoon will have shown them that despite this they can still do their bit to help the local environment and encourage them to recycle more”.
London-based charity Vital Regeneration received the Big Lottery Fund grant in January 2006 and this was the first workshop of many to be held using the funding. Vital Regeneration exists to educate, empower and promote enjoyment whilst working to address deprivation in central London.
The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) and nine consortium partners manage the £36.5 million CRED Programme on behalf of the Big Lottery Fund’s Transforming Waste initiative. CRED is the second multi-million pound National Lottery initiative managed by RSWT on behalf of the Fund.
So far the CRED Programme has awarded more than £4.2 million to community recycling, reuse and composting projects in the London region.
Debbie Pippard, Big Lottery Fund’s Head of Region for London, said ‘The first step to achieving recycling targets in the UK is making sure that everyone is aware of how they can do their little bit to help out – Vital Regeneration is doing a fantastic job working with local children to get them involved and we wish them every success with their scheme’.
The CRED Programme aims to improve the quality of life of communities in England through establishing new waste recycling, reuse or composting projects in areas where they do not currently exist, and to expand existing schemes.
Responding to your feedback, we have set up a new e-mail address so you can contact our Learning & Employment Advisor directly. The address is vitaladvice@cwh.org.uk.
What is the Learning & Employment Service?
This service promotes opportunities for learning and work to all adults aged 20 and over. Whether you want to improve your career prospects, get a qualification, learn for leisure or just make the most of your job, our services are available to you through our advisor.
You can email or call on 020 7641 6750. Surgery times, Monday & Thursday, 9.30 - 12 noon at The Greenside Community Centre.