Our volunteers are at the heart of our work and are vital to supporting adult education across England and Scotland.
We have almost 3,000 volunteers who take on a staggering variety of roles including:
- Branch members who arrange and promote local courses through the extensive branch network
- Community Outreach volunteers who promote the value of adult learning, particularly in disadvantaged communities
- Classroom support volunteers who help students develop essential skills or support individuals with specific physical or learning difficulties
- Class Secretaries and Learner Representatives who provide a conduit for feedback from students
- Activists who organise promotional and fundraising events
- Volunteers who take on formal governance roles. Each WEA region and Scotland has its own governance committees, all of which rely upon the contribution of time and expertise from volunteers with local knowledge and a passion for lifelong learning. At a national level the WEA is governed by the Trustee body who are all volunteers.
- Workplace learning champions and advocates who promote learning with friends and colleagues at work
You can get a flavour of the kind of activities undertaken by downloading our volunteer leaflet.
All activities enable volunteers to develop their own skills and interests, and can lead to long standing friendships, more active social participation and, for some volunteers, employment. If you would like to enquire about getting involved as a WEA volunteer then email [email protected] or contact your nearest regional office.
Meet the WEA Ambassadors
We have a fantastic team of Ambassadors who advocate the work, vision and mission of the WEA both in their local communities and on a national scale. As individuals with an understanding of the challenges and rewards of studying as an adult, they are able to talk passionately and with enthusiasm to potential students, partners and parliamentarians.
We have almost 40 individuals on our Ambassador programme and we are always looking to bring new people on board. To find out more, please contact [email protected]
To find out more about our existing Ambassadors, click on the tiles below.