1:19pm Sunday 11th May 2008
CELEBRATING the achievements of older learners, a special exhibition is being staged at the Art Central (Town Hall, Barry) until June 9.
In their own words, learners who have attended a range of courses run by the Vale of Glamorgan Council's adult and community learning service spell out what they feel they have achieved and the impact on their lives.
The exhibition, which includes photographs and pieces of learners' work, will also tour libraries across the area.
It is part of the Older and Bolder Campaign funded by the council in partnership with the National Institute of Adult and Continuing Education in Wales, which aims to celebrate the achievements of older learners.
The Vale adult and community learning service currently provides courses and activities covering arts and crafts, health and wellbeing, computers skills, digital photography, languages, history and literature, music and dance, basic skills and English for speakers of other languages, Welsh for adults, family learning and community development.
Seventy-one per cent of learners taking courses in the Vale are over 50, a number that is growing each year.
There is an enormous range of experiences and a huge variety of themes illustrated in the exhibition but all the learning has enhanced peoples' lives.
For example, Helen describes the way "learning has given me the confidence to stretch myself with projects that I would never have attempted alone."
Learning about computers has meant Gail is able to order groceries on line and chat to friends through email.
For some people more time in retirement has meant they are able to fulfil lifetime ambitions such as learning Welsh to engage with their bilingual families.
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