Southport has officially launched its bid to become recognised as a UNESCO City of Lifelong Learning within the next two years.
The campaign was unveiled at a launch event hosted by Southport Learning Town at West Lancs Yacht Club on Friday. Attendees included local education providers, businesses, and community leaders, with Southport MP Patrick Hurley delivering the keynote speech.
Speaking at the event, Alan Potter of Southport Learning Town highlighted the unique, community-led nature of the initiative, setting it apart from other cities where such efforts are typically driven by public bodies.
Plans are already underway to establish a dedicated learning hub on Lord Street. This central space will serve as an access point for residents of all ages to explore educational opportunities, engage with the campaign, and find out how they can get involved.
The goal is to embed lifelong learning into the fabric of the community, reinforcing the message that in Southport, learning is for everyone, at every stage of life, regardless of background or circumstance.
The launch was followed by the inaugural Learning Festival at The Atkinson on Saturday. The event welcomed families and visitors for a day of interactive activities, including face painting, bubble displays, art appreciation, architectural history sessions, science experiments, magic shows, and more.
Speaking at the Learning Town launch, Alan Potter said:
“Patrick Hurley set out the fact that we are ambitious and that we are trying to build together not just for learners but all sections of the community.
“I am very grateful for everybody who came out for the launch event.
“It did of course take place on Friday the 13th – we did take out all precautions against bad luck. There were no rooms in the room which may have caused us seven years of bad luck; there were no ladders for people to walk under; and there was a black cat but it was rehoused for the evening!
“The Southport Learning Trust movement has a management committee whose members have worked tirelessly over the past eight to nine months to get to this point which is the launch of the initiative.
“There are lots of people in Southport who provide learning and education of a very high quality. And they do so with the aspiration to support children and young people, adults and others in order to make sure that they can make the best out of themselves.
“It is one of the things that we do very well in Southport. It’s one thing that we don’t have to start from scratch. We are very much building on that. So thank you to all those who provide such good quality learning from the earliest of years to the latest of lives.
“The launch sets us off on a path.
“We have been supported by Simon Joos, the Lead for the Manchester UNESCO Learning City. It makes sure that the institutions are all working together to put learning at the centre of the city.
“That is what we hope to get for Southport in due course.
“Simon and his colleagues have been helping us to make our preparations.
“The hope is that Southport, in two years’ time, if we are able, can apply for UNESCO Learning City Status, which is recognised around the world.
“We want to do it in a way that hasn’t been done before, which is community-led.
“We need to draw attention to Southport as a particular place to come and learn.
“We already have support. We have it from our colleagues in early years; we have it from schools, we have it from The Learning Tooms, and from Edge Hill University. We are backed by the Southport Arts Society, Southport University Extension Society, and Southport U3A.
“We are also backed by local businesses, the local council, and by Southport MP Patrick Hurley.
“What we are intending to do is to create a central hub in Southport where anyone can be signposted to find out what learning is available; when it is available; and when they can access it – a kind of one-stop studying shop.
“We are going to make it as accessible, as inclusive, for more and more people to take part in learning than they do at present.
“We are starting this process because we are ambitious in learning. We have started with our first Southport Learning Festival.
“This year it was held at The Atkinson. In future years it would be lovely if it could be held in venues across Southport. In pubs and clubs; in school halls and the town hall; and in care homes and cafes throughout the town. Because learning then would be at the centre of the whole community.”
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