Branches
Workers’ Educational Association branches are groups which meet as a named branch within a local area. The object of the branch is to provide a local programme of courses for all adults, which meet their educational and recreational needs and are therefore both informative and stimulating.
Each branch has a committee which is elected annually and is instrumental in compiling the course programme. This programme is decided after taking stock of the views of local people, the availability of suitable tutors and venues. The courses can be either one-off events, short courses of a few weeks or longer courses of say up to twenty sessions.
Courses are organised at a variety of times in order to satisfy the needs of all potential students. Most courses need extra funding, so a charge of approximately £2 an hour is needed from participants to make them viable. But students of limited means and/or on certain benefits are not charged.
WEA courses do not only provide ways of accessing new knowledge and understanding. They also provide a social context where like-minded learners can meet new people and form friendships, whilst at the same time having an opportunity to put forward their views on a multitude of subjects. Courses offered are numerous and varied. Art, literature, languages, history, local history, politics, book clubs, singing, photography, bird study, botany, parenting, music appreciation, writing and rambling are just some of the courses that are currently on offer.
Branches also arrange outings to museums, theatre visits as well as short holidays. Some branches have been doing this for years and have built up a wealth of experience about running branch activities.
By joining a branch or a class you will be able to have a say in what goes on and hopefully, in time, you could join the local committee and be involved in the further development of the programme and branch activities. A WEA branch does not exist in isolation from the main body of the organisation, but complements it and is closely linked with the work the WEA does across the region in providing community education. The WEA is like a tree, organic and growing. The branches will not thrive unless the body of the tree is healthy.
Hopefully, you have found reading this interesting, informative and it has made you think ‘I would like to join a group like that‘. If that is the case, come along and join us by contacting your nearest branch. Please select from the list below (if there is no link to a branch near you, their website may yet be under development. In that case, please contact the Regional Office for contact information).
Make contact and become involved. You will be made very welcome.
Branch publicity
Branches collectively publish course brochures to advertise their annual programme. Please download any of the brochures below by clicking on the illustration.
