Over the coming months we’ll be highlighting the work of some of the many local organisations making a positive difference in our borough, to help inform that important decision.

This week we focus on volunteering opportunities in the education sector. So, if you’re an inspiring communicator or have a passion for helping and enabling others to learn new skills, then perhaps volunteering for Bromley Adult Education College (BAEC) could be for you?

The college has around two thousand students, with centres in Penge and Orpington. It prides itself on offering an ever expanding range of free and paid courses, aimed at the hobbyist through to those seeking accredited professional qualifications in computing, counselling and maths, as well as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Non accredited arts and crafts interests are also well served with clothes making, upholstery, stained glass making, floristry, painting and photography courses on offer. Budding chefs are also well catered for with a number of skills courses available. The college also provides language courses for beginners through to advanced levels, in French, Italian and Spanish as well as courses in pilates and gentle yoga.

In this vibrant learning environment, volunteers can expect to assist across a variety of roles, all aimed at helping facilitate the delivery of courses. So, whether it be supporting tutors and students during lessons, or helping the Digital Skills team with IT solutions, volunteers can rest assured their skills and knowledge will be well utilised and developed.

IT Volunteer Wendy Twitchett has been helping at the college for the past twenty years after retiring from her IT role in a school. She told us why it’s important for adults to have a local educational resource like BAEC:

“I think it’s absolutely invaluable because as well as people being able to follow their interests, find new interests, then it’s invaluable for people’s mental health. If they’re here, painting, drawing, learning a language, they’re using their brains communicating; they’re not sitting in a doctor’s waiting room. I think it’s really invaluable.”  

Volunteers are highly valued members of the college team and play an important part in its smooth running, as Wendy explains:

“Volunteers are very useful because they can be the extra helping hand in the room and deal with the putting the papers out or collecting them in, as well as helping individual students, so that the tutor can keep the lesson moving.”

The college is always keen to welcome new volunteers who share a love of learning and are keen to promote opportunities for adults. Wendy told us what she enjoys most about the role:

“It’s meeting people and helping people and taking part in a class and getting to know everyone and what they’re going to do? And discovering that the person you’re helping is maybe a poet? or something else that’s very interesting. Generally it’s meeting people, getting to know people, keeping up to date with the subjects and really, sheer enjoyment of learning and making progress oneself.”

Everyday, volunteers across the borough are making a positive difference within our community and transforming lives. If you’ve been inspired to get involved in the work of BAEC, please visit their website. Bromley Adult Education College