Adult Learning Wales ( cy, Addysg Oedolion Cymru) is a registered charity and
adult education
Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralp ...
provider serving the whole of
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
.
History
The present body was formed on the merger of Workers' Educational Association WEA Cymru and YMCA Community College on 1 August 2015, and adopted the present name in November 2016. WEA Cymru was itself a product of a recent merger, when on 10 January 2014 WEA South Wales joined with Coleg Harlech WEA (North).
WEA (South Wales)
The Workers’ Educational Association WEA in South Wales traces its roots to a conference at Cory Hall in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
in October 1906 initiated by
Albert Mansbridge
Albert Mansbridge, CH (10 January 1876, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England – 22 August 1952, Torquay, Devon) was an English educator who was one of the pioneers of adult education in Britain. He is best known for his part in co-founding the ...
, with representatives of local authorities, trade unions and the university college. Twelve branches were formed between 1907 and 1914, bringing adult education to working people primarily in
Glamorgan
, HQ = Cardiff
, Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974)
, Origin=
, Code = GLA
, CodeName = Chapman code
, Replace =
* West Glamorgan
* Mid Glamorgan
* South Glamorgan
, Motto ...
and
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...
. The network continued to expand after the Great War under the leadership of secretary John Davies.
Coleg Harlech WEA (North)
Workers’ education in North Wales began as classes in quarries under the auspices of the
University College of North Wales
, former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007)
, image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg
, image_size = 250px
, caption = Arms
...
. From 1925, a new North Wales district of the
WEA
The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami.
Today, the descendants of the ...
was set up, with
Silyn Roberts as its first District Secretary. By 1927 classes in existence had trebled, providing for 1250 adults. After Silyn’s early death in 1930, his widow, Mary Silyn Roberts, succeeded him as Secretary, also a lecturer, and the association continued to grow, with over 3,000 learners by the 1940s.
Coleg Harlech was founded in 1927 by
Thomas Jones, Cabinet Secretary to both
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...
and
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, (3 August 186714 December 1947) was a British Conservative Party politician who dominated the government of the United Kingdom between the world wars, serving as prime minister on three occasions, ...
, to continue the work of WEA in a residential environment.
On 1 August 2001, the Workers’ Educational Association (North Wales) and Coleg Harlech merged to form Coleg Harlech WEA (North). The merged Association continued the common longstanding tradition of
liberal arts
Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...
adult education to enable adults to develop their capacity to learn and fulfil their potential, but also continued to enlarge this by developing
vocational education and training
Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesman, tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education give ...
, including providing opportunities for socially and educationally disadvantaged adults both in residence at Harlech and in communities and workplaces across North and Mid Wales.
WEA publications
In its heyday, the WEA in Wales published ‘’The Highway’’ in English, and ‘’
Lleufer’’ in Welsh, the latter under the editorship of David Thomas.
YMCA Community College
YMCA Community College was an independent body linked to the wider
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
movement. It provided adult education, mostly to male learners, often vulnerable people, including ex-offenders and youth workers, across the whole of Wales.
[Estyn, 2011 ‘A report on YMCA Wales Community College’]
Adult education provision
Adult Learning Wales/Addysg Oedolion Cymru has a presence across Wales. It provides adult education throughout Wales, sometimes in its own buildings, but often at third-party premises, as required.
Governance
The Association is a
registered charity
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definition of a ch ...
with the Charity Commission (registration number 1071234) and a
company limited by guarantee
In British, Australian, Bermudian, Hong Kong and Irish company law (and previously New Zealand), a company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of corporation used primarily (but not exclusively) for non-profit organisations that require legal pe ...
(company number 3109524), governed by a Council of trustees. It is a membership based organisation at £10 per annum. Students, former students, staff and other people wishing to support the Association are particularly encouraged to apply. There is a branch network throughout Wales.
The main source of funding is the
Welsh Government
The Welsh Government ( cy, Llywodraeth Cymru) is the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of ministers and Minister (government), deputy ministers, and also of a Counsel General for Wales, counsel general. Minist ...
as a designated institution under the
Further and Higher Education Act 1992
The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 made changes in the funding and administration of further education and higher education within England and Wales, with consequential effects on associated matters in Scotland which had previously been ...
.
Since renaming as Adult Learning Wales - Addysg Oedolion Cymru, the organisation additionally retains the branding of predecessor institutions.
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
* J. England (ed.) (2007). ''Changing Lives: Workers’ Education in Wales 1907–2007'',
*
P. Stead (1977). ''Coleg Harlech: The First Fifty Years'',
*
E. White (1977). ''Thomas Jones: Founder of Coleg Harlech'', {{ISBN, 0-901833-84-3
External links
Official Website
Further education colleges in Wales
Adult education in the United Kingdom