We were delighted to speak with Bridget Phillipson today at a community education roundtable in Leicester about the need for combined authorities to prioritise funding for tailored learning to better support parents' mental and physical well-being before they transition into work.

‘Life long learning is the vaccination again populism’ - Lord Knight giving a storming speech in the Lords right now on the critical need for adult learning

My excitement is short lived. My concern was that the debate would be all about the LLE loan but it was wider. The Lords at their best. However it has surfaced that DFE has cut Adult Skills budget for 25/26 So here we are again. Jacqui Smith

Not that me and Simon Parkinson have been keeping score, but if the Minister mentions you in their wrap up speech it’s worth like 5 sector points right?!

Really interesting debate & we will follow up with some reflections and Katie Shaw is absolutely right. Grateful to Jacqui Smith for referencing The WEA in her closing remarks

Mayors shouldn’t accept this cut and neither should we. feweek.co.uk/fury-as-dfe-cu…

DfE sneaking out a 6% cut to the adult skills fund under the noise of their poorly briefed disability benefit ‘reforms’ smacks of a government more interested in cosplaying Cameron & Osbourne than actually, you know, making people’s lives better

Simon Parkinson, WEA CEO & General Secretary, responds to plans to cut Adult Skills Funding by 6%. #adulteducation #budget #cuts

When Starmer said ‘change’ we didn’t realise he meant using the kind you find down your sofa to fund adult education

5 days left to join my team as Senior PR and Branding Manager and fight for broad and bold lifelong learning offer (before Labour completely decimate the sector) charityjob.co.uk/jobs/workers-e…

💻 Join our webinar this Thursday where we'll be talking to Lord David Blunkett, Baroness Sue Garden and Stephen Evans about how we can work to protect adult education in light of planned budget cuts. Sign up to our webinar taking place from 5pm-6pm: thewea.info/open_meeting_

Nigel Farage has made a disgraceful, deeply divisive anti-migrant speech cementing his party as one that scapegoats the most vulnerable in society and a party of the hard-right. ........My Mistake this was actually Keir Starmer

Best way to mark Learning at Work Week is to get a load of ULR’s and activists angry about the damage successive governments have done to adult education. Absolutely delighted to be speaking at this event ✊🏻

4 out of 5 of learners with pre existing mental health conditions say our courses improves their wellbeing. 88% of learners say they met people in their communities on our courses they wouldn’t usually meet. 6% is being cut from the Adult Skills Budget. Make it make sense

‘Funding cuts to adult education limit its potential to address the challenges we face today…We cannot kick the can down the road. Community-based learning for all should have a seat at the table when it comes to broader conversations about cohesion, resilience, and inclusion.’

When Mitie understands the purpose of education and lifelong learning better than our own government you know the system is screwed. God forbid people get a little dignity and support while our state cages them up. theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/a…

Shout out to the brilliant Anki Deo at HOPE not hate for this FE Week piece she wrote on the impact lifelong learning can have to bring communities together

Spent the last 15 years saying ‘and what about FE’? Going to spend the next 15 years saying ‘and what about community learning?’