VALE MP Alun Cairns went back to school following recent concerns over the future of a Barry adult education centre.

Alun visited the Palmerston Education Centre, in Barry, to meet local adult learners and to see for himself the skills and crafts being developed and created as part of the courses available.

He joined students and local residents for a coffee and visited classrooms to see displays of the work ranging from glass crafts through to craft and design and the skill development such as digital photography, computing skills and re-upholstery.

Alun said: “This was a wonderful event to see so many people – young and old learning and developing new skills. It was extremely dynamic and the range of displays was superb. It is a first class example of what can be achieved through lifelong learning.

“All of the different classes came together to display their separate projects and it is obvious that this provides social benefits as well as education.

“This facility is extremely important to the local community. It provides a helping hand to adults wanting to get back into work and ensures older people don’t become isolated.

“There are some very talented students here and it is hard to believe that we have had to fend off rumours of closure.”