Casey Review calls for more investment in English language learning

LEAH's work was given further endorsement yesterday by the Casey Review which states that 'English language is a common denominator and a strong enabler of integration'.   

Dame Louise Casey goes on to call for additional funding for the promotion of English language skills empowering marginalised women, promoting social mixing and tackling barriers to employment for most socially isolated groups. It also recommends that we 'Reduce economic exclusion, inequality and segregation in our most isolated and deprived communities and schools, by improving English language provision through funding for community-based classes.'

At LEAH, we experience first hand the difference learning English can make to women's lives both in our 1 to 1 and small group community classes.

Client T.T. ‘Now I feel more confident when I see the doctor or meet parent in my children’s school.’

Client T.A. ‘At school I have to speak English… At (the) doctor I now speak if my son is sick, it is important.’ 

Client J.A. ‘(I’ve made) very good friends now.  (If) my daughter (is) not well…I go to (the) pharmacist on my own’.

LEAH conversation class client. "We learned a lot from each other..developing our knowledge not only of British culture and lifestyle, but also traditions and customs of other countries". 

LEAH helps women from over 30 different countries and when ready (usually after a period of 9-12 months with a 1 to 1 volunteer) brings them together in small classes with creche facilities to help them improve their practical language skills. By enabling friendships to develop where communication is through English, the common language of both parties, we provide yet further opportunities for language skills to be practised and developed. Meeting women from other cultures also reminds us that despite our different languages we are in many other ways much alike, especially for example where our children are concerned. As LEAH's Patron Dame Jacqueline Wilson commented following her visit to one of our literacy classes "It was heart-warming to make friends with such a diverse and determined group of women and to realise how much we all have in common in spite of coming from different countries and cultures."

22 years of Chairship remembered by fellow trustee and friend, Joan McConn

Freda with the Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Roy Arora, the Mayoress
and long time supporter Councillor Shiraz Mirza.

Freda  steered LEAH from the early days of chairing meetings of volunteers in the North Kingston Centre old kitchen to overseeing the employment of 6 staff in our own place today.  In fact, both Freda and Jeanette hosted meetings in their own homes for many years too.

Freda was always fully engaged in our work – supporting her own students and everything else that involved: including organising recruitment and training of volunteers, dealing with student referrals; helping run day trips for students and volunteers, and taking along spare clothes or whatever else was needed for children, wrapping presents for the NY Party (how time consuming that was, but always a good way of meeting up with the other volunteers).

Freda with ex trustee Jeanette Hall

Freda has always offered a moderate voice and been very thoughtful in her response to ideas and plans to further LEAH's aims.

Always firm, fair and welcoming to others’ ideas, and excellent at encouraging initiative.

A good listener and delegator, it was as if she followed the maxim “The best way to keep power is to share it, and the best way to influence is to listen”.

I have always thought that Freda seemed to concentrate on getting the basics right.

As anyone who has known her will be aware, she is extremely self-effacing (so much so that finding photographs of her has been difficult!).

Anyway, Freda, I guess that using our talents and leaving a legacy is something we all desire to do and there is no doubt you have succeeded in doing this.

LEAH is a better organisation because of your efforts, and a lovely organisation to be involved in, either as an employee, student, volunteer or trustee.

I am delighted that you have agreed to stay on as a trustee as your knowledge and advice will be invaluable at a time when we are facing many challenges common to voluntary organisations dependent on charity funding.

Freda with Joan at the Guildhall

I am sure I speak for us all when I say it has been a pleasure to know you and work with you and I hope you will find your continuing role as a trustee enjoyable and fulfilling.

Joan McConn

29 January 2016

A conversation with Freda Lambert, chair of LEAH from 1997 to 2015

What do you know about the beginnings of LEAH?

The charity was founded by Joan Summersby, wife of a Methodist minister. She moved with her husband to Kingston from Bedford where there was an English language club. Finding that there was nothing similar in Kingston she decided to start her own. In the beginning it was very much tea and sewing for ladies from the Indian sub-continent but later developed into more of an ESOL organisation.

How did you first get involved with LEAH?

In 1991, I went along to what was then called the Volunteer Bureau which put me in touch with LEAH and Kingston Hospital. They did a good job of matching me up as I’m still involved in both organisations.

What was it like in the early days?

I went on a short training course run by Jenny Arokiasamy at the North Kingston Centre. It was not nearly as comprehensive as the courses LEAH now runs but enough to give me a basic idea. I was then paired up with a young mother who was a refugee from the war in Iraq. Nowadays we have a team of co-ordinators to provide back up and advice but I was left very much to my own devices. I worked with her for about 4 years and she later went on to become a child minder.

After a year of volunteer tutoring I joined the LEAH committee and shortly afterwards took on the role of organising tutor.  This involved taking referrals, visiting  clients, meeting volunteers and matching them up.  I went all over Kingston visiting clients. On one occasion I even interviewed a young man, who was ill, in his bedroom. Of course you didn’t think about your own safety, only now looking back on it do you realise that that probably wasn’t particularly safe. Fortunately we have safe guarding policies in place now.

(Freda then took out her little red book where she has written down all the people she’s been involved with at LEAH. We counted up over 80 people who she’s helped in one way or another during her time at LEAH).

1997 was a milestone for LEAH because it received its first funding grant from Trust for London. This enabled us to take on our first paid co-ordinator and I became Chair of the organisation.

Have there been any stressful moments?

The financing of the charity has always been unpredictable. RBK has been a great supporter with regular small grants, however it was when the Community Fund awarded us a 3 year grant of £184K in 2001 that we were able to really step up our work.  However this funding ceased in 2007 and when other funding bids were unsuccessful we had to make 2 members of staff redundant. That was a real low point.

I’ve also had to do some of the least popular jobs. I remember buying new clothes for a child that had been sick on the bus on our way to Littlehampton one summer!

What have been the highlights?

Gaining our first big grant funding was hugely satisfying.

I’ve made some good friendships with the other committee members particularly Jeanette Hall, Joan McConn and Isabelle Mcgrath who have all been with the charity for a long time.

Receiving the Queens Award in 2008 was quite an experience. There was a ceremony at the Guildhall where we were presented with the award by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Surrey in all his regalia followed by tea in the Mayor’s parlour. Then four of us (Isabelle, Joan, Sanja Kane (ex-employee of LEAH now at RAK) and myself) were all invited to go to Buckingham Palace for one of the Queen’s garden parties. 

The client parties and trips are hectic (one new year we had over 120 people) but it is always good to see the students, volunteers and their families enjoying themselves and hugely satisfying.

What are the future prospects for LEAH?
It is very pleasing to see how far LEAH has come. The organisation is now run on a very professional footing and this can only continue with the calibre of the new trustees who have recently joined the board. However, with the ongoing influx of refugees from war zones around the world our work always continues to be needed. The 1 to 1 support that LEAH provides is unique and is so important in helping people who have English as a second language make the first steps towards improving their language skills.