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The Institute of Lifelong Learning's main teaching centre will this year celebrate it's 150th Anniversary. It was 150 years ago, in 1862, that Canon David James Vaughan and his wife Margaret founded the Leicester Working Men's Institute, which was named Vaughan College. To mark this anniversary we will be holding a celebratory event Read More

 

University of Leicester and WEA Receive Lottery Funding to Research Health Needs in the Midlands

The educational charity WEA West Midlands has been successful in receiving £186,081 of funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s Research programme which has been set up to fund medical and social projects led by voluntary and community sector organisations. 

The WEA has received funding for a three year project (2010-2013) “Community Research for Better Health in the Midlands”. The project to be supported by the University of Leicester’s Institute for Lifelong Learning (LILL) will investigate the barriers to regular exercise which people living in health deprived communities face and how these barriers can be overcome.

LILL is delighted that the project has been successful in this research project. Working with community groups and the promotion of learning opportunities for ‘hard to reach’ groups is a key priority for the Institute. Professor John Benyon and Yvonne Dickinson of LILL will engage directly with the project activity to provide advice and support on research methodology and ethics issues.  Professor Benyon said “This Lottery project will provide an opportunity for  engaging with real community work in health deprived areas - we are delighted to be part of such an innovative and exciting project.”

The Lottery funding will  support community research into better health and will work directly with 200 adults, particularly those at risk of obesity. The WEA will then design and deliver health education programmes in response to the needs of local communities.

The University will work with a staff team lead by Howard Croft, Project Coordinator Howard commented “By training adults from health deprived areas in research skills, identifying barriers to adopting healthy living, and then delivering tailor-made physical activity programmes in response to local need, hundreds of people will benefit from health improvements and learn how to sustain healthy lifestyles. Also key decision makers within public health and social care services will become more aware of ways to engage different communities in relevant healthy lifestyle initiatives."  

Further information on the University’s engagement with the project can be accessed via Yvonne Dickinson at yd24@le.ac.uk or telephone 0116 252 5926. To learn more about the work of WEA East Midlands click here