On 6th July, we celebrated learners at our Annual Achievement Awards ceremony, held at the Central Baptist Church in Chelmsford.
Over 30 awards were handed to learners, and among the recipients were Chelmsford-based Helene Mayes, Suzanne Smithies, and Danielle Kelly.
Helene Mayes has completed many courses at ACL Chelmsford and said: “Every course I’ve done has been life changing. The parenting course where I learnt about proactive behaviour management completely changed the atmosphere in my home, and we’re a much happier family as a result.” Going on to talk about career prospects, Helene added: “I had no idea where I wanted to go, so Jane (a family learning tutor) suggested to me that I did the ‘This is Your Year’ course. The introspection part of it was huge for me and as a result of the course, I have a five-year plan. I’m going to be a counsellor with the help of ACL.”
On receiving the Lifelong Learning Award, Helene said: “It was a complete shock. I was not expecting it, but I’m completely humbled and grateful. It’s really nice to be recognised and appreciated; it’s really motivational.”
Suzanne Smithies is also based in Chelmsford but studied the Adult Social Care Level 3 qualification online with ACL. She is a carer in the community, wants to progress in her career and would like to become a manager or a teacher for new carers. Speaking about ACL, Suzanne said: “I wanted to further my knowledge and ACL was an option for me. It was easy to step into and it was flexible, so I could do the work in my own time and arrange meetings and tutorials around my work pattern.”
Upon receiving the Personal Growth and Achievement Award, Suzanne added: “I couldn’t get my head around it. I’ve never won anything in my life, but it’s nice to feel recognised for learning at my age.”
Danielle Kelly also takes courses at ACL Chelmsford, including English, Maths, art and employability. Proud father Roger was cheering on Danielle at the ceremony when she received the Making the Difference Award and said: “The courses have given her a lot of confidence. She’s really keen on trying to learn English and Maths now and she’s confident she can do it because she understands it more.” A fellow learner nominated Danielle for this award for her contribution to classes and for being a friend.
To discover more about the ACL Essex Awards, visit www.aclessex.com/acl-awards2022/.
You can also view and download the 2022-23 course.