Last night saw the Mayor of London Adult Learning Awards ceremony take place at London's City Hall in Royal Victoria, and we were thrilled to be part of the incredibly important event.
Hosted by Tunde Olayinka, Executive Director Communities and Skills, Greater London Authority and joined by Guest of Honour City Lit Fellow Bettany Hughes OBE, the Awards recognise inspirational Londoners that have overcome barriers and excelled at work and in life through adult education. Employers and providers were also recognised for their contribution to adult learning in the capital.
Inclusive Provider of Adult Education
Over 329 nominations were received across ten categories, and we are delighted to have been recognised in the category Inclusive Provider of Adult Education – won for our Centre for Deaf Education.
Long and rich history
City Lit has a long and rich history of Deaf education, providing support for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people since it was founded in 1919. City Lit’s Centre for Deaf Education is internationally renowned with a wide range of provision, including British Sign Language (BSL); English, maths and digital skills for Deaf people; lipreading and managing hearing loss; and support for Deaf students accessing mainstream courses.
Having a large cohort of over 600 Deaf students gives learners across the college the opportunity to mix with their Deaf peers both inside and outside the classroom, which doesn’t occur in other settings. Today, it also provides a sanctuary for around 100 Deaf refugees and asylum seekers who are predominantly from Ukraine, Afghanistan and Iran.
Centre for Deaf Education
City Lit has provided support for deaf people at its heart right from our establishment, in 1919. Some of the first courses ever offered by City Lit were lipreading classes for deafened soldiers returning from World War I. Over the years, we have grown to become an internationally-renowned centre of a wide range of provision - it is the largest centre of its kind in Europe.
