A PROJECT to bring education opportunities to a Bolton community has been hailed as a huge success -- less than two months after opening its doors.
When members of the council's Community Education Service (CES) first sent outreach workers to Tonge Moor two years ago, residents were keen to find out more.
As CES team leader Julie Stones explained: "Initially we took a bus round the community of Tonge Moor. There were plenty of mums and kids and we asked them to bring their children along to play and let's find out what's going on.
"The parents really enjoyed but they said: 'What will happen when you go, because everyone who has been here before has always left?' We decided to make it our mission to stay."
The team were able to secure funding from the Government's Single Regeneration Budget, which had been targeted at the area.
And with further funding help from the Department for Education and Employment and help from the council's Housing Department, the Tonge Moor Early Years Learning Centre opened the doors of its new centre on Entwistle Street in September.
Tonge Moor Community panel -- made up of councillors for the area, residents and other interested parties -- have also match funded a £10,000 project to open a centre offering similar services at Connaught Square. And so busy have the facilities become that Mrs Stones said they have had no time to even have an official opening ceremony.
Now the two sites have more than 100 residents on their books studying courses from relaxation techniques and healthy eating to computing.
"We also offer a creche so the mums who want to come along and learn do not have to worry about their children and a toy library for use by the whole community," said Mrs Stones.
"The real beauty of this project is that we have consulted with the residents every step of the way about what kind of things they wanted. We knew it was going to be a success because we listened to what they wanted and we have created a sense of ownership amongst the community. It is their centre."
One of the most exciting aspects of the scheme is its NVQ courses in Early Years and Child Care training which could lead to the creation of real jobs for the users.
Karen Royle, head of service for CES, said: "The people on the courses are working towards a recognised qualification and at the same time gaining up-to-the-minute work experience in the growing area of childcare, and as classroom assistants in schools in the area.
"While they are doing this they are paid £140 and the long-term aim is for them to enter the jobs market. There will also be opportunities for the next generation of trainers and, while we cannot find everyone a job, we are hoping there will be an element of self-perpetuation to the scheme."
She added: "We now see this centre as a model we would like to roll out across the town."
Mrs Stones added that, given the success of the centre, they can now seek to expand the range of services on offer to the community in the future.
"We are more pleased than surprised that it has taken off so well and I think the community is beginning to see the benefit of our presence," she said. "We made it our mission to stay and I think everyone is glad we have."
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