Making ourselves heard

Help us to break the sound barrier. 

There are many ways to get involved:

Lend a hand to our campaign: tell us your learner story

The more learner stories we can share on this website, within social media, or directly with politicians, the more impact our campaign will have.

All you need to do is share your name, and a few details of your learning journey and attach a picture of you with your hand up waving for attention. A link to the form is below.

Not sure your story will persuade anyone? If, through your learning, you have benefitted from the following, please get involved:

  • Increased confidence

  • Improved skills for progressing to further learning

  • Improved skills for work

  • Improved essential life skills

  • Improved ability to support a child's learning

  • Improved physical health

  • Improved mental health and wellbeing

  • Improved connection with your local community

  • Increased understanding of democratic values

Tell us your story and get involved!

Quiz your local candidates on adult education

Quiz local candidates

Throughout the election campaign, there will be many opportunities to interact with candidates who want to be your MP. You will find them at hustings events, on radio call-in shows, and on your doorstep

If you have the opportunity to interact with candidates, you might want to tell them:

  • Your personal story of why adult learning is important to you

  • How it has improved your life

  • How it might continue to do so if the Government maintains the funding for courses such as those you have benefitted from

You might also want to ask:

  • If elected, how will they fund adult learning in community venues which support disadvantaged learners? You might want to add that not all adult learners feel comfortable learning in traditional education venues such as colleges.

  • Will they support adult learning for health and wellbeing and to strengthen community ties, as well as learning for work?

If the candidates are positive either:

  • Ask for a selfie for you to share on your own social media, tagging the WEA, or email it to us for us to share

  • Point them to this website, to pick up a social media politician pledge card

Please let us know what responses you get, either positive or negative, by emailing [email protected]

Write to your local candidates about adult education

Through the election campaign, there will be lots of opportunities to interact with candidates, but sometimes a postal, email or social media approach is the most convenient.

After 7th June the Electoral Commission will hold details of all the candidates standing in your area. Visit their website and enter your address to find out.

The best way to get a response is to write about your personal story and ask direct questions of them.

You might want to tell them:

  • Your personal story of why adult learning is important to you

  • How it has improved your life

  • How it might continue to do so if the Government maintains the funding for courses such as those you have benefitted from

You might also want to ask:

  • If elected, how they will fund adult learning in community venues which support disadvantaged learners? You might want to add that not all adult learners feel comfortable learning in traditional education venues such as colleges.

  • Will they support adult learning for health and wellbeing and to strengthen community ties, as well as learning for work?

To help we've prepared a template letter or email for you to download.

Please let us know what responses you get, either positive or negative, by emailing [email protected].

Download the email/letter template here (Microsoft Word)

Follow, like, share, and use our campaign banners on your feed

We've added some banners for you to add to your social media platforms to get involved with the campaign and spread the word! Right click/save as to save these to your device.

Be sure to add the web address https://www.wea.org.uk/hey-dont-forget-me into any social media posts you do, and tag our social media channels so we can share your posts!

Don't forget to let us know all about your learning experiences.

Hands up learner montage