The WEA is a designated Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) in England and in Scotland and receives public funding from various different sources, public, charitable and private. It also benefits from time being given by members.
How we're funded
Public funding (England)
WEA receives its principal funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), which manages the grants for non-devolved areas in England
Public funding (Scotland)
WEA Scotland receives core funding from the Scottish Government in the form of a Strategic Funding Partnership Agreement with Education Scotland.
Lottery funding
The WEA also benefits from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Charitable funding
Further income is sourced from a wide range of grant and contract funding sources, including health organisations, endowment fund and trusts grants.
Corporates whose missions align with our own may also support the WEA through donations as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility actions.
Volunteer impact
The WEA is distinguished by the extensive roles played by volunteers, from governance through to classroom support. Ofsted said that “a key strength of the organisation has been, and continues to be, the strong historical bond that exists between employees and volunteer members of the organisation”.
The input of volunteers makes our adult education work distinctive. Research conducted as part of the Government’s ‘Pound Plus’ methodology has estimated the value of volunteering to the WEA to be in the order of £4 million per year.
Mayoral Combined Authorities
Increasingly, England’s education budget is becoming devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and in the future unitary and county authorities. We provide education to learners in the following areas:
