Aspire Community Learning hub launched in Islington

Community was proud to support the launch of the Aspire Community learning hub in Islington, North London earlier this month.

The hub is a partnership between Community and Aspire Community Works, a community organisation based in the capital.

Aspire’s mission is to provide high quality training and Real Living Wage employment opportunities for people who are disadvantaged in the labour market. Its #BetterForUs campaign is aimed at getting all public service contracts to pay Real Living Wages and have good working conditions.

After signing a recognition agreement, the two organisations formed the learning hub to reach out to disadvantaged communities. The hub recently launched its training offer to residents of Newlon Housing Association at a packed fun event in Islington with over one hundred and seventy people attending.

Newlon is a housing association that owns or manages around 8,350 homes in north and east London. The event held at the Barnsbury Community Centre in the heart of a North London estate was particularly focused on reaching out to people who do not traditionally access training and/or face the brunt of the cost of living crisis living crisis as a result of low incomes on benefit or from poorly paid work.

We heard from carers who often felt isolated and alone, from school assistants struggling to bring cash home to  others still recovering from the effects of Covid. Every resident and their families will now be able to access Community’s online programme through the Aspire Community learning hub for free.

Sidra Nisa, Head of Community Learn said:

“Unions have so much to offer to people from our most disadvantaged communities. Days like these are so important for us not only to offer our training, but to explain the importance of trade unions outside of the workplace setting. Community is a union that is open to both those in and out of work.”

Kathy Sutton, Chief Executive of Aspire Community Works, added:

“The support that we have had from Community has been exceptional. We’ve had an amazing turn out and generated lots of interest in Community’s learning programme. We hope to offer more opportunities like this in the future working in partnership with Community.”

Community believes that access to learning, skills development and training is key to success at work and beyond. Initiatives such as this are all about showing how we as a union work in partnership with our local communities to help effect change.

Our partner organisations offer hundreds of different courses that can be taken online, at your own pace or in a structured way. Our members can access the majority of them free, so if you want to take advantage of our learning offer find out more here.

For further information on Aspire and #BetterForUs visit www.aspirecommunityworks.com and www.betterforus.org.uk

To get involved in our In Your Community work, click here.

If you are a member of Community and need advice or support, please contact our Service Centre at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.