Courses to build life skills

Learn life skills with the largest charitable provider of adult education in England and Scotland. Adult learning isn’t like school. Everyone belongs at the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ. You’ll get meaningful, and tailored support, so you can reach your full potential. Our classes are friendly and fun, designed for adults like you. We won’t talk down to you and you’ll learn skills that you’ll use in everyday life.

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What are life skills?

Simply put, they are skills that make everyday life easier. Life skills include cooking, budgeting, communicating with others, health, well-being and managing emotions. Sometimes this means learning new things, and sometimes it means building on things you already know.

Sometimes adulting can be hard. These courses can help make it feel just that bit easier, make you feel more independent and empower you to face the future ahead.

Small steps to larger goals

You don’t have to have big goals in mind. Just take small steps towards boosting your skills and improving your wellbeing. Whether it is learning to budget better or cook healthier food. Building your confidence or gaining independence. There is a course for you.

When you study with us, you will:

  • Build your confidence
  • Learn new life skills
  • Improve your everyday life and wellbeing

Take a look at our great range of courses and start making a positive change today.

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Healthy Living: Introduction to Map Reading

During this online course you will undertake practical exercises at home and participate in online virtual walks where you will need to make some map reading choices. You need no prior knowledge to take part in this course, just a love of the outdoors and a willingness to have a go. This will sharpen your awareness of details on the map and may also improve your observation skills while out in the countryside.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 21/11/2024 -
Thu 12/12/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Alastair Clark
Course code:
Q00019833
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Healthy Living: Aromatherapy at Christmas – the gift of time

Give the gift of time to your loved ones this Christmas. This course is designed to show you how to blend a collection of beautiful essential oils using the classic scents of the season. Not only do essential oils smell divine, they also have a huge range of therapeutic effects on the human body. If you are looking for muscle pain relief, anti-stress or something to help sleep and relaxation you will learn a wide range of techniques on this short course. We will cover safe blending, learn the properties of the most popular essential oils and also a range of classic Swedish massage techniques that you can apply as part of your Christmas gift.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 21/11/2024 -
Thu 19/12/2024
Times:
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00019834
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Healthy Living: Seated yoga and self-massage at Christmas

Getting stressed at the thought of Christmas? Start your day with a lovely, relaxed stretch session with Georgia. Chair yoga is a wonderful practice that adapts traditional yoga poses to be done while seated in a chair. It’s perfect for people who may have limited mobility or chronic disease such as long Covid, knee and back problems. Also excellent for people who find it challenging to transition between standing and seated positions, or simply want a quick break from office work. In general, yoga can help manage stress, symptoms of depression, and relieves anxiety. It can also boost your mood, and quality of sleep. Seated yoga helps strengthen and lengthen muscles, ease pain and increase mobility. We will cool down and ensure this results in both uplifting and deeply restful practice by including meditation for the latter part of the session. A wonderful to start the day.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 21/11/2024 -
Thu 19/12/2024
Times:
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00019835
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Healthy Living: Yoga Nidra with seated yoga for the run up to Christmas with Georgia

If you find the run up the Christmas stressful, join me for this yoga nidra session. Yoga Nidra translates to Yogic Sleep. It’s a deeply restful Yoga practice, and a very effective way to rest and restore at the end of the day. If you want to manage stress and anxiety and reduce fatigue, we’ve got you covered! Yoga Nidra with Georgia offers you the tools, time and space you need to manage stress and open yourself up to a place of stillness, calm and deep relaxation. Yoga Nidra helps you to easily drift into a clam and meditative state from a place of comfort and ease.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 21/11/2024 -
Thu 19/12/2024
Times:
5:00pm - 6:30pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00019838
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ Membership

ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ membership is changing: more information is coming soon!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Cooking Practical: Christmas Desserts

Lots of lovely Christmas baking and pudding ideas for you to make along with me. On this course we will be making traditional Christmas pudding, a gingerbread house, Yule log and an alternative to Christmas pudding for those of you that see no attraction in a dried fruit concoction!

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 27/11/2024 -
Wed 18/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Wilcock
Course code:
Q00019831
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Personal Development: Introduction to Different Perspectives on Mental Health

We will explore the experience of mental distress from four very different viewpoints. Each has something to offer, none has the whole story. · The Biological aims to understand what is going on in the brain and the body. It underpins the medical model. · The Psychological perspectives seek to explain our mental states in terms of our thinking, feelings and habits. It’s all in the mind. · The Social perspective shifts the focus away from the individual. It is society that needs to change. · A Spiritual perspective goes beyond our limited sense of self to seek deeper meaning in our life journey.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 27/11/2024 -
Wed 27/11/2024
Times:
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Kevin Walker
Course code:
Q00019893
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40

Cooking Practical: Christmas on a budget

Cooking a homemade Christmas dinner doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Learn how to feed the whole family with a tasty and affordable festive meal in this Christmas cooking on a budget course. This is a cooking and personal finance course rolled into one. You’ll get practical budgeting tips you can apply in the kitchen. This course is ideal for you if you’d like to learn how to cook homemade meals on a reduced budget.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 02/12/2024 -
Mon 09/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Hesters Way Community Resource Centre
Cassin Drive
Cheltenham
GL51 7SU
Tutor:
Julia Milton
Course code:
Q00013010
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
8 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

Personal Development: Exploring our memories of Christmas, Winter and Renewal

This time of year, means different things to different people and yet the experience of hope and renewal in dark times is a universal theme. We will share our memories of this time and, as one memory sparks another, we can reflect on them together. These reflections could touch upon the nature of memory, on culture and identity, or on finding hope in difficult times. There is no need to be a good 'story-teller' as the memories shared will be short, snapshots of lives lived.The aim is to be inclusive as possible and accommodate those with some hearing difficulties.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 12/12/2024 -
Thu 12/12/2024
Times:
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Kevin Walker
Course code:
Q00019892
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40

Personal Development: Exploring our memories of Christmas, Winter and Renewal

This time of year, means different things to different people and yet the experience of hope and renewal in dark times is a universal theme. We will share our memories of this time and, as one memory sparks another, we can reflect on them together. These reflections could touch upon the nature of memory, on culture and identity, or on finding hope in difficult times. There is no need to be a good 'story-teller' as the memories shared will be short, snapshots of lives lived.The aim is to be inclusive as possible and accommodate those with some hearing difficulties.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 16/12/2024 -
Mon 16/12/2024
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Kevin Walker
Course code:
Q00019891
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40

Healthy Living: Journaling to End the Year Well

This workshop will help you reflect on your growth, challenges and achievements over 2024 by using simple and helpful journaling exercises. You’ll be introduced to a range of journaling techniques to make journaling enjoyable and insightful. You’ll get tips on how to incorporate journaling into a weekly enjoyable self-care habit that can boost mood and bring balance. Our in-class writing exercises will help you finish the year with a flourish using a range of materials such as photos, poems and stories. Get inspired, get inventive and feel a sense of satisfaction at your progress. End the year well so you start the next one on a positive note.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 18/12/2024 -
Wed 18/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Torode
Course code:
Q00019840
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40



The courses below have already started, but are still available to book.

Personal Development: BSL Next Steps Developing Confidence to Sign

This is a fun and interactive course, ideal to follow on from the Beginners BSL. The intention of this course is to develop skills in BSL for community engagement, further learning and possibly employment in a school/work setting. The course will run for 14 guided learning hours and will be taught at St Mary’s Community Centre, Pontefract with the facilitation of Canvas as a virtual learning platform. Learners will be fully supported in achieving the learning outcomes for the course and the intention is that the course will help them to further develop their confidence in order for them to engage in signed conversations with their peers.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 07/11/2024 -
Thu 19/12/2024
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
St Marys Community Centre (PONTEFRACT)
The Circle
Chequerfield
PONTEFRACT
WF8 2AY
Tutor:
Caroline Cleghorn
Course code:
Q00012515
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
In progress
Fee:
Free