Princess gives royal backing to community project

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The University's part in an innovative and nationally recognised community project received the royal seal of approval on 17 November, when HRH the Princess Royal met Pam Coare and Sonia Plato from CCE during a visit to Hastings.

During the visit, Princess Anne also met local residents and representatives of other organisations involved in the collaborative Ore Valley Project, which covers the 1,200 homes on the town's Broomgrove, Farley Bank and Deepdene Gardens estates.

The pioneering scheme aims to identify and address the needs of local people using a multi-agency community approach, which involves several agencies working in partnership with each other and with residents.

Partners in the project include the University's Centre for Continuing Education (CCE), the local health authority and NHS trust, 1066 Housing Association, Social Services and Playlink, an organisation that works with parents and children.

CCE's role in the venture is to provide educational opportunities for adults who have not previously had much access to education. Classes on offer cover personal development, computer skills and a range of level 1 higher-education courses.

The importance of the project's collaborative approach is shown by the fact that most of the students are mothers, who need childcare provision in order to access the classes. Most commonly, students take one course, involving two contact hours per week, together with a computer course running alongside.

Pam Coare, who leads CCE's community development team and co-ordinates its work across Sussex, believes the Ore Valley Project stands out because it actually delivers. "It has changed the sense of what is possible. The people actually come along now and say what they want to do. We're not out there trying to persuade them this will be a good thing."

Sonia Plato, the CCE community development worker in Hastings, is responsible for the training and development of staff who teach on the estates. She also has a strategic role, sitting on a variety of committees associated with government initiatives such as the New Deal and Education Action Zone.

In addition, Sonia provides information and guidance to students, helping to ensure that they make the right choices. She said: "The Ore Valley Project is a true community partnership. It shows what can be achieved when residents and agencies work together."

Many of the students stay with the scheme for up to three or four years and a small number have gone on to take CCE certificates in the town or courses at Hastings College of Arts & Technology.

But Pam is looking further ahead and takes the long view on the project's effectiveness. "I think it changes people's aspirations for the next generation, and that's absolutely crucial, that residents start seeing university as a possibility for their kids, even if practically they can't do it themselves. Education is a life-changing experience, which changes people's outlook and broadens their horizons."