Family and Intergenerational Learning Weekend 11th - 13th May 2012

Family Learning Day aims to encourage families to learn and have fun together. It can provide the ideal opportunity to engage with new families in your area and to raise awareness of the range of learning activities and courses available to them.

Participation in family learning has been shown to be a key factor in raising attainment levels of primary school children. In addition, it offers adults who lack self confidence, a chance to take part in a fun learning activity in an informal environment.

In past years, organisations have staged a wide range of activities throughout Wales which have successfully attracted families. Please remember to send us details of your own activities which we will post on the website.

Country of Castles - Wales' First National Sandcastle Building competition

This year NIACE Dysgu Cymru will be holding the first all Wales sandcastle competiton for intergenerational teams. Click here to find out how to enter

 

Previous year's activity

  • Sharing stories in Ceredigion - an event was staged which brought together all the agencies that work with parents to provide information on their services. During the day, the parents were invited to take part in story telling workshops led by Story Sacks which aimed to change the way parents read with their children
  • Healthy Eating Day - Brynmawr Learning  Action Centre held an event in a local shopping precinct which encouraged families to change the way they think about food and exercise. A toodle around the part took place alongside healthy sandwich making workshops.
  • Flintshire Family Activity Week - a community focused school held a series of taster sessions aimed at parents which took place between 4- 4.30pm throughout Adult Learners' Week. Sessions offered included; aerobics, line dancing, clay modelling, badminton, grow your own, a music workshop, football and creative cards
  • Kite Making Workshop - Llwynhendy Dads' Group linked up with an organisation called Trysordy in Carmarthenshire to hold a kite making workshop using recycled materials.

  • Adventure Island Fun - Ely and Caerau Communities First took over the crèche at their local leisure centre to hold a Adventure Island themed fun day which attracted a range of families from different backgrounds, including families whose first language is not English

Resources

Family Reading Breakfast Planning Toolkit
Quick Reads, have produced a useful toolkit to encourage organisations to bring families together to celebrate World Book Day 2011. The toolkit gives practical advice on holding a family reading breakfast which can be downloaded at:
http://www.quickreads.org.uk/familyreadingbreakfasts

Details of the Welsh Quick Reads Campaign and the new book titles can be found at
http://www.cllc.org.uk/ymgyrchoedd-campaigns/storisydyn-quickreads?print=true

Discovering New Worlds
The Campaign for Learning in England has published a new booklet which provides advice and practical ideas on linking family events and activities to further learning. The booklet includes tips on encouraging fathers to join family courses. Download the booklet.

Funding
People's Postcode Trust
The trust are currently offering grants of up to £2000 for projects based in Wales that last no more than three months. The deadline for applications is Friday 25th February (decisions made March 2011).

Gregg's Foundation
The foundation offers regional grants of up to £2000 to charitable organisations that 'make a difference to people in need in the heart of Gregg's local communities.