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Bedford celebrates the success of European Funding - [13-10-2006]

The Renaissance Café Project, a learning initiative based in Bedford, won the Loving Learning Award at the second annual East of England Celebrate Awards. The awards were presented at a lunchtime ceremony on 5 October 2006 at The Maltings, Ely in Cambridgeshire, which was hosted by BBC Look East presenter Susie Fowler-Watt.

The Renaissance Café Project won the Loving Learning Award, awarded by the judges to the project which best demonstrated how it has provided opportunities for people in the region to develop new, and potentially life changing, skills. It provides training and learning in non-threatening environments for people denied other learning opportunities because of mental health problems.

David Marlow, Chairman of the Celebrate Awards judging panel and Chief Executive of the East of England Development Agency, explains why the Renaissance Café Project was selected: “The judges felt that this project is a great example of how European Structural Funds are helping people without other opportunities to learn.”

David Morrall, Director Europe at the Government Office for the East of England, said: “The Renaissance Café Project is helping people with mental health problems transform their lives through learning.”

Ann Peckham, Project Manager of the Renaissance Café Project, said: “There has been an improvement of the self-esteem and confidence of the individuals participating in the project; their self-belief has improved so much that some have been able to start permitted work and others are actively looking for outside employment.”

There was another winner from Bedford – Robert Henriquez was awarded the Love to Learn Award for the person that has succeeded in developing new, and potentially life-changing, skills. Robert undertook a ‘From Tools to Teaching’ programme at Bedford College, managed by ACER, which takes individuals with a construction background and gives them the necessary training to become a vocational teacher.

The Celebrate Awards, which are the brainchild of the East of England Development Agency and the Government Office of the East of England, honoured just a handful of the projects, people, businesses, places and communities that have been made possible thanks, in part, to European Structural Funds. The ten award categories reflected the wide reaching benefits that European Funding has brought to the East of England, such as economic regeneration, environmental sustainability and equal opportunities.

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