A BARNSLEY charity which has helped teach English to hundreds of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants over the last 15 years is celebrating this week after receiving more than £280,000 in National Lottery funding.
ELSH - Educational Learning Support Hub - were founded in 2010 by Florentine Bootha-King and have been a lifeline for hundreds of people over that time frame.
They provide English classes to migrants and refugees who are looking to integrate into life in Barnsley.
They also provide free entry one, entry two and entry three ESOL (English to speakers of other languages) in addition to basic maths and IT skills.
Once the students reach a certain level, they are then put in contact with higher education institutes such as Northern College and Barnsley College in order to further their opportunities.
They currently support than 86 people - all of whom are looking to benefit from Florentine’s guidance along with her volunteers.
Florentine told the Chronicle: “We help people to learn English, maths ICT and health and wellbeing for their journey.
“It’s all free of charge.
“It’s free entry up to entry three and once they finish the learning we signpost them to adult learning.
“We help them progress with anything they like - if they want to move onto university or further learning then we can provide references for them.”
ELSH has been relying on time and effort from volunteers to run the charity for the last 15 years - but last Friday they received a cheque totalling £280,667 from The National Lottery to continue the service they provide.
Florentine added: “We’ve got six staff and 12 volunteers.
“We’ve been awarded a grant by the National Lottery which will help provide something for the whole community.
“It’s going to pay for the building, salaries and everything for the next three years.
“It’s really going to help change people’s lives.
“I was teaching for seven years but I gave up my job to support the community.
“I’m so thrilled and pleased that I will finally be able to be on a salary.”
Mayor of Barnsley Coun John Clarke was in attendance on the day to offer his support to the charity.
He said: “The hub has served as a beacon of hope for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants within our communities in and around the borough for the past 15 years.
“Through English language classes and vocational training, the ELSH has empowered individuals to build brighter futures and integrate seamlessly into our society.
“The dedication of the volunteers has been truly remarkable and instrumental into the hub’s success.
“We’re all looking forward to the ongoing growth and success of the ELSH here in Barnsley for many years to come.”
Kate Hayward, from The National Lottery, also expressed her gratitude for everything that ELSH do here in the town, before handing over the cheque.
She said: “We’re here to celebrate the grant that has been awarded to them and the fantastic work that they do.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how this grant can help ELSH continue to develop and grow.”
