New Directions College Awarded £10,000 Grant by the National Lottery Heritage Fund for 65th Birthday Celebrations

New Directions College's 65^th anniversary events and heritage exhibition has been backed to the tune of £10,000 thanks to a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The National Lottery players' grant allowed New Directions to commission invaluable research work by a local historian, to help identify and better explain the history of life-long learning in Reading, as well as its contribution to communities in Reading over more than six decades.

The 65^th Anniversary Exhibition will be on show at Reading Museum's Reading History and Community gallery, between 14 November and June 2024.

The partnership between New Directions and Reading Museum will also see the college host 'Drawing on Location' classes and 'Takeover Days' in the museum, as an opportunity for local communities to engage with arts and wellbeing activities run by arts and crafts tutors. The overall aim of the events is to introduce newcomers to the town, connect existing residents, and help them build social links and combat loneliness.

Andrea Wood, New Directions College Principal said: "We're delighted that we've received this support thanks to National Lottery players. This is set to be a marvellous celebratory exhibition of the story and impact of adult learning in Reading dating back 65 years. It will bring us to current day, where the college plays a pivotal role at the heart of our community, supporting thousands of adults to gain the skills they need for employment, further education or personal or social development."

Cllr Ruth McEwan, Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health, said, "New Directions College's 65th Year Anniversary is a remarkable testament to the enduring spirit of lifelong learning in our community. This exhibition, made possible through the generous support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, not only celebrates the history but also paves the way for an even brighter future. It's a unique opportunity for our residents to connect, learn, and celebrate the diverse talents that make Reading such a vibrant place to live."

New Directions College intend to celebrate the town's local adult learning history, culture, and heritage by connecting with the local community's diverse talent and attracting people who wouldn't normally engage with heritage and offering training to new people.

The research funded by the National Lottery grant uncovered documents from Reading Local Studies Library (RLSL), Royal Berkshire Archives (RBA) and Reading Museum (RM), including the Ephemera Collection at the Local Studies Library to the Education Committee minutes and the photographs in the museum store establishing a comprehensive set of resources for the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

Complemented by local newspaper coverage for the same periods through British Newspaper Archive (BNA), the research helped to build a comprehensive picture of not only of adult education, but of the origins of New Directions College and subsequent developments and changes.