Supporting ESOL Students at Shipley College

Shipley College received a Learner Grant for £1,000 to split between 16 ESOL students. The money funded a trip to Manchester to visit Manchester United’s football stadium, Old Trafford, and learn about different cultures, with a view to going to university or working in Manchester. 

The students who participated are from a variety of different backgrounds, with some having come from East Africa, Kurdistan and Afghanistan under the most horrific circumstances, including leaving their families for safety reasons. Despite these challenges, they show a real interest in the needs of others, with some taking a British Sign Language course so they can communicate with a deaf learner within their group. 

In addition to funding the trip to Manchester, there was enough money left over from the Learner Grant to provide further life-changing experiences for the students: as a small number cannot swim, the funding will also be used to help pay for swimming lessons for the group.