Earlier this year, Enable2 agreed to fund the continuation of ESOL Classes at The Millside Centre in Bradford, supporting over 30 individuals to learn English as part of their mission to help them gain their independence in the UK.
The award-winning Millside Centre in Bradford have been providing key support to the wider Bradford community since they opened their doors to the public in February 2017. The Millside Centre’s aim is to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment where anybody in need of support can get access to services that improve their health, wellbeing, education and employment opportunities through a variety of support networks such as job clubs, youth groups, exercise classes, mental health wellbeing sessions, ESOL classes and more.
Earlier this year, our Social Value and Business Development Coordinator Fabian Gartland went to pay the Millside Centre a visit to discuss how our organisations could work together to reduce employment-based, educational, health, wellbeing, cultural and linguistic inequalities.
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes are a core part of the development of the many diverse communities in the UK. These classes, taught by an accredited tutor, assist in the integration of many individuals into the UK and can be a first step for many in gaining their independence in the UK. We were asked to fund the next phase of these classes, providing support to over 30 individuals from the wider Bradford area.
The funding that we have provided has allowed for a 6-month continuation of these classes, with our financial support covering the tutor, materials and trips out across West Yorkshire to put their learning into practice.
Alongside these regular sessions, the Millside Centre also run a Welcome café as part of an employability training project for refugees and asylum seekers to learn basic catering skills, customer service and build their confidence all while getting a level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate. The café is open 12-2pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, offering a variety of great value, delicious food every week. We would certainly recommend grabbing some lunch there!
Juliet Adoch, Centre Manager at The Millside Centre, said ‘we are grateful for the support that Enable2 have been able to provide, providing a space that people feel comfortable to come and learn is priority for us. It’s great to see that social enterprises like Enable2 are working hard to give back to their community wherever they can, and they have proven such a useful resource for us in our community-driven work.’