our fe college had TO cancel the class due to cuts in EDUCATION funding even though we were half way through ... sO HERE 's WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!
yes you guessed it .. our cREATIVE WRITING CLASS jUST KEPT ON GOING!!
THROUGH persistence - dedication & belief - in each other, in our new tutor & in those who might help sponsor the class to the goal we got through the 2nd year!
help us please - by the middle of july 2015
here is eightpointseven's WONDERFUL STORY - after which please take the opportunity to be a true 'crowd funder' for a very special group of talented young people/writers
We are looking to raise funds for EightpointSeven. EightpointSeven was set up to fund a class's Creative Writing course, after the A2 course got pulled, but we carried on as a group so that we could complete our two year journey. The students would be so grateful of your help!
Message from the Founder on behalf of the young: As a mature student I joined a night class in an Ipswich College, Suffolk in order study an AS level in Creative Writing. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would face the challenge we did. We studied for the year 13/14 and then sat exams. As a class we did well - which was wonderful for the College and tremendous for the students. The greatest joy of the classes for me became the people - a glorious mix of our today's society - who have shared more often than not the challenges that life throws up. All of the students other than me are young, bright and talented, but are either unemployed or in their first jobs - all deserving of an opportunity but with no spare funds to talk of at all, certainly not for 'buying education'. I'm sure that 2 of them would be understanding if I said that they would never have dreamt of being in the initial class if they hadn't been pushed to do so by the College. With social issues and personal challenges, they have learnt a new way to express the impacts of their lives whilst also gaining an AS level!! Another - who for this purpose we shall simply name as Laura - Laure will shine in the writing world one day - of that I am quite sure.
Anyway, when it came to doing the A2 course the next term, ie. year two, September 2014, the class was suddenly cancelled due to the lack of funding for Adults in Further Education. For me that was a really poor experience to witness - in a world which aspires to better and continuous education, bringing adults to the table to learn, to grow, to develop - it seemed so unfair to say - 'too bad!' So I took it upon myself to protect the Creative Writing Class and the cohort of wonderful young adults. We developed EIGHTpointSEVEN as an education vehicle to keep structure and indeed to raise funds to get everyone through.
For the class to take place in 2014/15 we would need to find:
a - a tutor with the correct skills and accreditation
b - a space to work from that would satisfy teaching criteria
c - a college to accredit the class and the unconventional model of how an independent class would carry out its year (there was the true challenge)
Putting it together was a tall order, but we achieved it. We have done a year of Creative Writing at A2 level, with all its prep, reading and writing plus we have met weekly to achieve this. The course work is now handed in and the exam is on the 8th June 2015.
Not an easy journey but with six keen students, a great Tutor (Author/tutor Nikki McDonagh who took courage in taking us on) and housekeeping support for rooms at a good rate from the East Anglian Uni - Suffolk Campus, Ipswich. We have now come to the end of our 2nd year intact. We will in June sit the A2 exam. Our old College, Suffolk New College and AQA have supported our Exam procedure as we have been able to comply with all the criteria as if we were a government class.
So it is 'Hoorah' all round!
Where will the money go?
The accounts for the class are due to be paid back out by mid July and this list is what we need to find to settle the expenses
Current costs are:Accommodation and class space £3,200
Teaching & tuition for the year £4,600
Exam fees for 4 £200
8.7 printing/admin/publishing £300
Literature £400
Total = £8,700 (give or take a few pence) Hence the Groups name!
(To date my fee contribution and more has kept the ship in the right direction, others have added when possible. It was not possible to look to raise funds until we could prove our exam accreditation.)
YOUR REWARD! ,,,,, We have some cool ideas here too ................
For giving to EIGHTpointSEVEN you get more than a pat on the back!!! Your reward is in your head and heart for which I thank you. Like me you will have aided some wonderful young person to go on - to write - to express themselves, to find liberty in prose. I suspect to perhaps be more true to themselves and be able to engage in a more educated way than possibly they would ever imagined.
EIGHTpointSEVEN are looking to publish a book of short stories in the Summer of 2015 .. Would you like one? For a donation of £25 we will send you our EIGHTpointSEVEN Collection 2015.
If you would like a greater reward then for each £100 we will give one to one interviews about our story and for every £1000 then two students will do an after dinner speech and share the reality of the journey!
Finally - if you like what you read and settle £4,500 of our account then I am making you a personal pledge to give you my time for ONE WEEK with one of the students (who all love work experience) to come and Champion a Project for you in your life/office .. for a topic/charity close to your heart.
Can you give TODAY - to help them succeed? Helping the class of EighpointSeven with some funds however big or small would be really wonderful and I know that the team of students will greatly appreciate your interest.
Stop the world and send a little please!
Supporting EIGHTpointSEVEN is hugely worthwhile - plus its a great story - that's for sure!
I am so very proud that we have got this far, but more so for the students who have flourished and by the end of the summer on results day will have even more points to put towards their places for College and Uni, when this time last year they were told to forget ever having a dream of being a writer or going onto Higher Education.
(Of course I have put funds in to date to keep the wheels turning, but can't quite do the lot! Should I have errors or omissions in this piece forgive me, please.
