Alan Curtis 

Secretary 


Alan was flattered to be asked to become a trustee of ELSH, but he been liaising & working with Florentine for a couple of years, now. He is currently secretary of the Amnesty International group in Barnsley & of Barnsley Borough City of Sanctuary: He is also, temporarily, secretary of 'Destination Barnsley' until the festival in July. Alan is a delegate to the TUC Retired Members Forum, via my union [UCU] where, until recently, Alan was sec. of the Yorks & Humber retired members' branch; He is also a member of the National Pensioners' Convention, via Barnsley Retirees' Action Group [BRAG] who started the 'Freedom Riders' travel campaign while he was the then chairman. Formerly he taught French & Music in Barnsley & for the last eighteen years he taught Music in Barnsley College. 

On Monday evenings, Alan is learning German to keep his brain active…

Carol Gratton

Trustee - Tresaurer

Mark Mbure

Trustee - Marketing

Altine King

Trustee - Media and communications

Fidelis Chebe

Trustee - 

Phillis Andrew

Chair - 


Becoming Part of a Driven and Successful Charity Hub.


If you feel you can spare a couple hours a day or more with the skills, experience you have, we need to hear from you to join our trustees’, volunteer team to shape our new learning environment.

All our trustees and volunteers are central to the success of this Hub. We want our young people to return to education to learn the value, their self-esteem and self-confidence in learning and experience a new start. With a  determination in reaching goals, we support the asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and their families to develop a love of learning development and value how to learn to grow effectively and develop a desire to continually learn and to become successful throughout their lives.


Since our opening, our Hub is going from strength to strength. We have no doubt that with the continued hard work put in from both trustees and volunteers the Hub will reach outstanding status for its financial goal.


ELSH Objectives and Goals

  • To promote community awareness and respond to the needs of the young people through ongoing projects,
  • To recruit new volunteers to support the vulnerable young people, asylum seekers, refugees and migrants,
  • To provide training that supports volunteer programs,
  • To provide a safe and enjoyable learning environment,
  • To deliver the required resources that boost knowledge and confidence,
  • To get our volunteers at ELSH to encourage students to use multiple resources, (e.g., the use of our internet, visit to the local supermarket and the local library for more resources) to improve their understanding.
  • ELSH works with other Network partners.
  • We listen to our students and try to understand their learning culture which helps our teacher volunteers develop improved learning outcomes.
  • We support their education to learn English and Functional Skills.
  • We help students develop independent learning by researching and collaborating as a group. This has been an effective strategy for their learning.
  • Some students have prior professional qualifications that can be used to help them incorporate new knowledge.
  • We promote their welfare and well-being.
  • We help them integrate into the community by making small changes that result in big differences in their lives.

An ELSH goal is to provide a friendly and welcoming environment and one that every student will feel that they have an opportunity to develop further learning skills. The basic role of an ELSH volunteer teacher is to provide effective instruction for students to learn and be able to demonstrate their learning. We treat all questions, views and concerns seriously and with respect. We have experience and records that our student growth and deeper learning outcomes are developed by continual teacher interaction and assessment.

Our curriculum of introduction to basic English and Functional Skills courses has been helping students develop skills that encourage more effective learning in the future. Students who are motivated and interested in learning are usually more successful. ELSH volunteers are working to help increase student motivation and engagement in learning and development.

ELSH has establish strong links with professional agencies, organisations, institutions and other volunteer groups that work locally with refugees, asylum seekers and NEETs, for referral and continuity of educational learning skills.