New free and costed community courses available at North Notts College

The five to ten-week long courses, delivered in collaboration with Nottinghamshire County Council Inspire, are held over just a few hours once a week, and span a wide variety of subjects including shabby chic, read, write and spell, and sugar craft.

The courses are completely free of charge to those in receipt of a means tested benefit, and otherwise cost between £40 and £80.

This month, the college's offering is being expanded to include an Introduction to teacher training, which provides students with an overview of the skills and knowledge required to teach, the psychology of teaching adults, and learning methods.

The ten-week course starts on Tuesday, January 14, from 6pm to 8pm and costs £80 - but is free to those in receipt of a means-tested benefit.

Hosted in several local venues, including the college, Bassetlaw Community and Voluntary Service in Worksop and Idle Valley Rural Learning Centre in Retford, the courses are easily accessible.

To relieve any childcare issues, students attending the sugar craft or everyday photography course can access a free creche

Many of the courses take place during the day Monday to Friday, but in response to demand from the local community, colleges in the RNN Group (which North Notts is part of) are looking to increase their evening courses.

Keep up to date by visiting facebook.com/NNC.Community.Learning.

Ella Wall, a North Notts College development worker who arranges the courses, commented: "For many who attend the community courses, it’s about more than simply learning a new skill. It’s about building confidence, helping with isolation, meeting new people and community integration and improving mental health.”

For many students, a community course is the start of something much bigger.

Ella added: “A lot of people who do the sugar craft course start making cakes for friends and family, and then go on to set up their own business.

"We find once a student has built up some confidence, they’ll go on to another course or an intermediate course.”

Sue Brown, a North Notts College lecturer Sue Brown has been teaching for 16 years and throughout her career she has seen students transform.

She said: “A student can walk into my class really closed off, and as the courses progresses they start to open up.

"Suddenly, they are doing something for the first time in their life - it might be writing their name, or making a cake for a family member.

“It’s that eureka moment, and that passion that you see from the students doing something they never thought they’d achieve – it’s so rewarding, I love it.”

“One of our students was a nervous anxious person that had no self-confidence.

"She joined the jewellery making course and is now selling jewellery for a church group she belongs to help raise money for families affected by the recent floods in Worksop.”

The full list of available courses is on the college's website.

For further information, or to book a place on a course, call the community office on 01909 504515 or visit facebook.com/NNC.Community.Learning and send a message detailing which course you would like to attend.