WEA courses

Baking on a Budget” is an 11-hour course carefully created to equip students with essential baking skills while making it affordable. Students will master the art of creating delightful baked goods using cost-effective ingredients and simple techniques. The curriculum covers fundamental baking principles, including ingredient substitutions, portion management, and efficient kitchen organisation, ensuring the best and most efficient way to bake. Through hands-on demonstrations and practical exercises, students will learn to prepare a variety of treats, such as cookies, cupcakes, and brownies, perfect for school fair stalls. By course end, students will possess the expertise and confidence to bake for school events and friends on a budget.

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. Leading a busy life leaves little room for calm and relaxation. This can make it hard for us to wind down and enjoy the present. But finding these moments of calm is essential for our emotional well-being and mental health. This short course will introduce you to a range of simple and accessible relaxation techniques that will help you to learn to slow down and relive tension. The session is practice based; you will be guided to participate in a series of relaxation practices that will support you to progressively relax. We will focus on calming breathing techniques, gentle mindful movements to relieve tension and guided Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation of both mind and body).

This course is designed to cater to both those who have prior experience with yoga and absolute beginners looking to explore the practice. We will engage in yoga postures synchronised with the breath, carefully adapted to meet each individual's unique needs. In addition to postures, the course includes breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, and guided relaxation to promote overall well-being. The tutor is committed to supporting your personal journey and will be happy to discuss and work with your specific requirements to ensure a positive experience. Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience level or background.

Does the thought of using computers, the internet and other digital technologies leave you feeling out of touch and overwhelmed? Have you thought about gaining some digital skills but didn’t know quite where to turn? If the answer to these questions is a resounding “Yes!” then you will feel right at home on our new Digital Skills for Everyday Living course. Here at the WEA, we have been busy developing this new and exciting course for people with little or no experience of digital technologies who want to acquire the skills to become ‘digitally literate’ in their everyday life and work. Our aim is to empower you to confidently engage with the digital world of laptops, smart phones, email, news, word processing, social media, entertainment, shopping and more.

The Introduction to Maternity Support Work course offers a comprehensive overview of the role of Maternity Support Workers (MSWs) and their collaboration with midwives to provide exceptional care for mothers, babies, and families. Delivered over 10 weeks through lectures and group work, this introductory course provides a supportive and friendly environment to explore the factors influencing a career in maternity support. You will gain insights into the profession, build personal confidence, and develop practical skills for future growth in this rewarding field. Take this first step towards making a meaningful difference in the lives of mothers, babies and families as a Maternity Support Worker.

The ESOL Living and working in UK course is designed for beginners who have little or no prior knowledge of the English language. In a face-to-face, comfortable and very positive environment you will have an opportunity to improve your skill and gain confidence. This course is focused on helping students develop fundamental speaking and listening skills in English. By the end of the course, students should be able to hold simple conversations and understand basic English conversations. Indulge in the topics like : “All about me”, “Talking about your neighbourhood”, “How do you spend your weekends?” and many more.

Was the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948 a new and revolutionary model of universal health care, or the natural conclusion of a long process of growth in the understanding of illness and disease, and the development of professional skills and infrastructure to treat and support those who were sick? In this course you will discover the background to the decision to provide health care ‘free at the point of delivery’, and learn how we can trace the story from medieval charity to 20th century social investigation and political developments.

If you have contact with deaf people in your day-to-day life, you may want to take a British Sign Language course. Knowing how to sign can make your communication more inclusive for everyone you interact with. This BSL course is suitable for you if you need to communicate with deaf people in a voluntary or community role, or simply through social interactions. This course is aimed at complete beginners. You will start from scratch to learn foundational BSL skills.

Are you bilingual? Ever thought about using your language skills to help out in the community? Did you know you can get many jobs with languages? If you speak English and another language fluently, you could make a great community interpreter. This community interpreter course gives you an introduction to the language and interpreting skills needed for this type of work. It can teach you foundational concepts to test your community interpreting skills informally with family or friends. This course can prepare you to help members of your family or community to overcome language barriers in their everyday lives. It can also help you decide if you’re interested in pursuing community interpreting jobs. You must live in the Peterborough and Cambridgeshire postcode areas to get this course free. This course is for Greater Peterborough and Cambridgeshire only.

If you have contact with deaf people in your day-to-day life, you may want to take a British Sign Language course. Knowing how to sign can make your communication more inclusive for everyone you interact with. This BSL course is suitable for you if you need to communicate with deaf people in a voluntary or community role, or simply through social interactions. This course is aimed at complete beginners. You will start from scratch to learn foundational BSL skills.