The Horizons Community Learning Project began 1996 on the Ore Valley Housing estate in Hastings with 3 hours a week community Development time funded through the Centre for Continuing (University of Sussex) Education Equality Unit.

Since then, the project has developed and grown, working across Hastings and St. Leonards and in particular two acres of social housing suffering multiple deprivation.   New work across the town focuses particularly on the areas of community capacity building and leadership.  Its premises are at 2 Churchill Court, St. Leonards and also runs from SureStart in the Ore Valley.

The Horizons project has received major short-term funding through ESF, Adult and Community Learning Fund, Co-Finance LSC, and ESF GOSE Funding.  It is also supported by a range of smaller funders and partners.  This range of funding ensures flexibility.  Partnership work has been at the core of Horizons success and has played a vital part in the project’s sustainability.  It has encouraged the development of a diverse range of provision covering both informal and formal learning.  This enables us to work with many otherwise ‘hard to reach’ learners at a variety of starting points with a broad age range of 16 to 90 years. The project provides free accredited and non-accredited courses from 1 FE to level 4 HE supported with basic and study skills where appropriate.  It also designs and delivers courses to meet identified need.

The Horizons Project provides free, flexible learning in an range of informal settings at a range of community venues supported by crèche and transport provision.   We have a holistic approach to education and the broader impact it has on health and community wellbeing.  Research and our own experience has shown that this type of approach has a significant, positive impact on the lifestyle, aspiration and confidence of individuals, their families and the communities they learn in.  This can be seen in terms of improving quality of life, increased take-up and access to education and other services locally, an increase in social and community activity and engagement improved skills qualifications and a dramatic increase in educational aspiration.. Funding has been sought to research the impact of the project with its local learning communities.

The Horizons Student Forum and Horizons Community Learning Organisation  (HCLO) and its committee play an important and strategic part in determining the development of the project and ensuring it meets the needs of its local community.  The HCLO looks towards embedding and supporting the work of Horizons in its local communities.

Horizons has part-time staff of coordinators, development and administrative support and a large team of part-time tutors. Short-term funding has been a constant concern for the Project; however, local commitment by both its staff and the community has meant that there has been a flexible and stable staff-team which has greatly contributed to its success and good relations with the local community it serves.