The need - opportunities for practice
Across East London, there is a clear gap in opportunities for ESOL learners to practise spoken English in informal, welcoming settings that are also well-structured and effectively led. While accredited courses develop formal language skills, they rarely provide the consistent, real-life conversation practice that builds confidence and fluency. Community-based conversation clubs can meet this need, but too often they rely on a small number of untrained volunteers, limiting both their quality and sustainability.
We work in small spaces
We work with small faith groups, community organisations, and local charity groups that are already committed to serving their local areas. For example, a community-led conversation club in a local library space in Waltham Forest sees regular attendance and clear community benefit. However, like many similar initiatives, the burden of planning and leading sessions often falls on a single individual. Volunteers are willing and capable, but they often lack the confidence and practical skills to take on leadership roles, which restricts growth and places pressure on existing leaders.
Our solutions are accessible
Our solution is a focused, accessible training programme designed specifically for volunteers. Delivered over four weeks in short, practical sessions, it equips participants with the skills to structure conversations, manage group dynamics, and support language development in informal settings. The training is intentionally simple, low-cost, and immediately applicable, removing many of the barriers that prevent volunteers—particularly older adults with valuable life experience but no formal ESOL background—from stepping into leadership.
The gap we fill is important
This approach responds directly to a systemic gap. Current funding structures prioritise accredited provision, leaving informal conversation practice under-resourced and undervalued. As a result, there is little investment in training the very people who sustain these vital community spaces. Yet the impact is evident: consistent attendance, increased learner confidence, stronger social connections, and informal pathways into wider support services. Community groups report encouragement not only from participation levels but also from the relationships and trust that develop through these sessions.
Help, join and benefit from our project
Tell us about yourself and your hopes
Please tell us about your thinking and your hopes for a conversation club or something similar. We would love to hear from you and build our responses based on your answers. This questionnaire will take less than 5 minutes.