The Informal ESOL Grant Scheme

The Lancashire Refugee Integration Team, as result of the evidence provided in our research and engagement, and following national policy on community-based English language provision, has created the Informal ESOL Grant Scheme (the 'Scheme'). The Scheme will make available grants to organisations that propose suitable projects and activities for the provision of informal ESOL for refugees in Lancashire. Organisations may submit proposals that cover the whole county (the 12 refugee resettlement areas plus Blackpool Unitary Authority) or individual resettlement areas (or groups of such areas). 'Resettlement areas' are defined as all local authorities resettling refugees under the government funded schemes. This includes all Local Authorities in Lancashire, with the exception of Blackburn with Darwen and Chorley who manage their own ESOL provision.

The aims of the Informal ESOL Grant Scheme include to:

1. Provide opportunities for refugees, particularly resettled refugees, in Lancashire to learn and practice English in informal or semi-formal contexts
2. Increase refugees' self-confidence and ability to learn the English language
3. Facilitate, through English language provision, social interactions and communication between refugees and local communities
4. Cater for diversity of learning styles and personal circumstances within the refugee community
5. Develop refugees' skills, knowledge and awareness of English that is relevant to their professional backgrounds, qualifications and aspirations
6. Tackle exclusion from English language learning by promoting and using new and innovative approaches that meet individual needs
7. Complement formal ESOL provision by providing opportunities for refugees to apply class-based learning
8. Promote awareness and use of English language digital learning resources
9. Develop family and community-based learning opportunities for refugees
10. Provide volunteering opportunities in language teaching and learning for refugees and other members of local communities
11. Raise awareness about the benefits and methods of organised self-study, and provide guidance and support to improve its use and impact

Successful bids will involve projects and activities that target and benefit refugees resettled in Lancashire under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Programme, Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, UK Resettlement Scheme and Homes for Ukraine. sponsored schemes. Proposed projects may also benefit other refugees, asylum seekers, and other members of the local community. However, they must target the needs of, and seek to benefit directly, resettled refugees, and bids must indicate how the proposed project will engage with, and ensure the participation of resettled refugees. Projects must not be open to learners from single nationality groups.

Proposals must also indicate how the proposed projects will deal with common barriers to learning such as transport and childcare needs. They must also evidence the need for the proposed provision, and how it will fit around and complement other local English language provision.

The Lancashire Refugee Integration Team at Lancashire County Council welcomes creative and innovative approaches, and also projects based on tried and tested models.  The Scheme also invites proposals that seek to meet localised needs, or those of specific groups of refugees (i.e. employment-related ESOL, older people, mothers with very young children).

The Informal ESOL Grant Scheme does not intend to be overly prescriptive as we welcome innovative proposals. However, proposals must be very clear about what they are going to use the grant for and must clearly demonstrate intended outcomes. Although they are not absolute, meeting one or more of the following criteria may demonstrate suitability of proposals and therefore influence the chances of being successful:

1. High quality, innovative proposals
2. Proposals that are based on evidence and engagement with users
3. Proposals that demonstrate long term impact
4. Proposals that evidence sustainability beyond the availability of Refugee Resettlement funding
5. Value for money, defined as high impact, low spend projects
6. Match funding from bidders (or other funders)
7. Experience of working with refugees (and resettled refugees in particular) is not required; however, proposals from organisations that do not have experience of working with refugees must evidence that they have the required understanding of refugees' issues, and their language acquisition needs
8. Added value, i.e. non-duplication of existing activities
9. Effective mechanisms of feeding back learning and relevant information to the Lancashire Refugee Integration Team, and engaging with the team, while observing relevant data protection protocols