Never Stop Learning
A volunteer-run adult education group committed to recording and promoting the rich history and future development of radical and life-changing adult education in the North East.
Discover
Never Stop Learning is a group of active volunteers, students, tutors, and staff members from various adult education organisations, including the Workers Educational Association, the Open University, Trades Unions and Local Authority and community providers. We came together to form Never Stop Learning (NSL) in 2023 and have around 25 members, meeting regularly in Washington.
It is our passionate belief that community and adult learning are an important element in improving people’s lives and opportunities, especially those living in disadvantaged communities in our region. Adult learning should stimulate critical thinking and lifelong learning can have a social justice purpose. It can and should provide more than just skills-based learning courses for work. It should improve the confidence of participants to engage in wider society, and encourage democratic involvement, partly through opportunities to influence the content and delivery of learning.
Experience
Never Stop Learning hold monthly meetings at the Arts Centre, Washington, to plan research, publications, conferences, and campaigns, to promote a wide range of transformative adult education, encouraging democratic principles. Information is shared on new developments and smaller working groups are arranged. Members regularly socialise after meetings.
NSL will engage in ongoing discussion and correspondence with local authorities, mayoral combined authorities, MPs and community-based learning groups and centres to promote these principles. With these proposals, we hope to broaden the reach of adult education.
Look out for
We have written and published an illustrated book about pioneering women’s education, ‘The Time of our Lives; Women’s Education in Washington New Town’, supported by a grant from Washington Heritage Partnership. NSL members organised and participated in a book launch and joined the ‘Washington at 60’ event, to promote and distribute the book.
Our second book, about Trades Union adult education, to be launched in the spring of 2026, will be our second publication, and is supported by the Lipman Miliband Trust. An adult education conference is also planned for Spring 2026, supported by the Raymond Williams Foundation. We continue to research, write about, and promote the positive outcomes in society that adult education can achieve.
Get Involved
New members and volunteers are always welcome, to give as much or as little time as you wish. Monthly meetings are held in the day time in the community room at the Arts Centre Washington, with remote digital access if needed.