Courses to build life skills

Learn life skills with the largest charitable provider of adult education in England and Scotland. Adult learning isn’t like school. Everyone belongs at the WEA. You’ll get meaningful, and tailored support, so you can reach your full potential. Our classes are friendly and fun, designed for adults like you. We won’t talk down to you and you’ll learn skills that you’ll use in everyday life.

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What are life skills?

Simply put, they are skills that make everyday life easier. Life skills include cooking, budgeting, communicating with others, health, well-being and managing emotions. Sometimes this means learning new things, and sometimes it means building on things you already know.

Sometimes adulting can be hard. These courses can help make it feel just that bit easier, make you feel more independent and empower you to face the future ahead.

Small steps to larger goals

You don’t have to have big goals in mind. Just take small steps towards boosting your skills and improving your wellbeing. Whether it is learning to budget better or cook healthier food. Building your confidence or gaining independence. There is a course for you.

When you study with us, you will:

  • Build your confidence
  • Learn new life skills
  • Improve your everyday life and wellbeing

Take a look at our great range of courses and start making a positive change today.

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Healthy Living: Seated yoga and self-massage at Christmas

Getting stressed at the thought of Christmas? Start your day with a lovely, relaxed stretch session with Georgia. Chair yoga is a wonderful practice that adapts traditional yoga poses to be done while seated in a chair. It’s perfect for people who may have limited mobility or chronic disease such as long Covid, knee and back problems. Also excellent for people who find it challenging to transition between standing and seated positions, or simply want a quick break from office work. In general, yoga can help manage stress, symptoms of depression, and relieves anxiety. It can also boost your mood, and quality of sleep. Seated yoga helps strengthen and lengthen muscles, ease pain and increase mobility. We will cool down and ensure this results in both uplifting and deeply restful practice by including meditation for the latter part of the session. A wonderful to start the day.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 21/11/2024 -
Thu 19/12/2024
Times:
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00019835
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Communicating Confidently

Would you like to feel more confident in conversations, meetings, or speaking in public? If you struggle to find your voice or get your point across, this communication skills course can help you feel more comfortable in conversation. Improving your communication skills can go a long way towards boosting your confidence in these situations. Learn effective tools and techniques to improve your communication skills. Whether you want to feel more comfortable meeting new people, holding union meetings or participating in community discussions, these confidence-building exercises can help you.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 25/11/2024 -
Mon 13/01/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Tricuro -Parkstone Connect Day Centre (P
Croft Road
Poole
BH12 3LD
Tutor:
Karen Johnson
Course code:
Q00013192
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £63.00

Maths for Work (Multiply)

Here at the WEA we believe in bringing education within reach of everyone. Our maths for work course is designed to give everyone the opportunity to learn and develop the essential numeracy skills they need to succeed at any age. This course is aimed at employed people looking to improve their Maths skills to help them at work. We want to help people to improve their ability to understand and use maths in daily life. This Maths for work course is an opportunity to learn new skills to support you no matter what role you play in work. You will be able to understand how to use new maths skills to support you in your career progression but these skills can also be used to support your children's homework, along with managing finances and using Maths in daily life at home too.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 25/11/2024 -
Tue 17/12/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Derek Robinson
Course code:
Q00019269
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Confidence to Learn

Would you like to learn new skills or change jobs? It can be hard to get back into learning after a long break. This confidence training will prepare you to feel comfortable stepping back into the classroom. This short course can help you bridge the gaps in your confidence and overcome the obstacles standing in your way to get back into learning. The objective of this course is to get you into a positive mindset to achieve your goals. You will practise a variety of confidence-building exercises to help that mindset shift come from within. Learn skills to help you succeed in online and face-to-face teaching settings. Regain forgotten study habits. Pick up techniques to help you organise and enjoy your learning process. Understand where you feel most and least sure of yourself and do confidence-building exercises to get the most out of your studies. Confidence-building courses help you improve your self-esteem and overcome obstacles that hold you back. By the end of this course, you will feel confident to go after your learning objectives.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 27/11/2024 -
Fri 30/05/2025
Times:
3:00pm - 3:30pm
Duration:
20 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Bimbola Olawanle
Course code:
Q00017623
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Cooking Practical: Christmas Desserts

Lots of lovely Christmas baking and pudding ideas for you to make along with me. On this course we will be making traditional Christmas pudding, a gingerbread house, Yule log and an alternative to Christmas pudding for those of you that see no attraction in a dried fruit concoction!

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 27/11/2024 -
Wed 18/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Wilcock
Course code:
Q00019831
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Keeping track of your finances digitally: financial literacy

This course empowers you to take control of your finances using digital tools and build a strong foundation in financial literacy. In today's digital age, there are numerous apps and software programs designed to simplify money management. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to leverage these tools effectively, transforming your financial well-being.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 29/11/2024 -
Fri 20/12/2024
Times:
10:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Derek Robinson
Course code:
Q00016639
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

Managing Stress and Anxiety

Would you like to learn techniques to relax and wind down? When we’re stressed or anxious it’s hard to feel calm. Anxiety affects over 8 million people in the UK at any time. But you don’t have to live with constant stress or anxiety. There are simple techniques you can learn to manage it. This stress management course is ideal if you want to learn habits to reduce stress and anxiety. It can help you lead a healthier and fuller life

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 29/11/2024 -
Fri 13/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Leicestershire Recovery College (Groby)
C/O Bradgare Unit
Glenfield Hospital Site
Groby
LE3 9EJ
Tutor:
Harsha Kotecha
Course code:
Q00017260
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

Cooking Practical: Christmas on a budget

Cooking a homemade Christmas dinner doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Learn how to feed the whole family with a tasty and affordable festive meal in this Christmas cooking on a budget course. This is a cooking and personal finance course rolled into one. You’ll get practical budgeting tips you can apply in the kitchen. This course is ideal for you if you’d like to learn how to cook homemade meals on a reduced budget.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 02/12/2024 -
Mon 09/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Hesters Way Community Resource Centre
Cassin Drive
Cheltenham
GL51 7SU
Tutor:
Julia Milton
Course code:
Q00013010
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
8 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

Care 2: Staying calm at Christmas

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. If you find Christmas stressful, why not treat yourself or a loved one to a gift of health and wellbeing? Have you ever been interested in helping yourself holistically? This course will take you through the fascinating art of reflexology where we will explore the roots and history of this amazing subject.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 02/12/2024 -
Mon 02/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 11:30am
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00019075
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Understanding ADHD: Living with ADHD

Feeling disorganized, forgetful, or struggling to focus? ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) might be the reason. This course explores the realities of living with ADHD, empowering you to understand the symptoms, navigate challenges, and discover strategies for success at home, work, and in relationships.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 06/12/2024 -
Fri 20/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Natasha Abrams
Course code:
Q00016655
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
8 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.30