Odils Learning Foundation

🎉Community Funday at The Mount Wise Community Centre 🎉

On Saturday 8th August, Zebra Collective hosted the second annual summer Community Funday.

It was very well attended by members of the Devonport community with over 200 people participating in the activities. Families from the Women Only ESOL classes held at the centre in collaboration between Odils Learning Foundation and Zebra Collective attended and we celebrated the birthday of one of our learner’s daughter 🎂

There was face painting, a bouncy castle, raffle, and circus performance which everyone enjoyed.

Thanks to Zebra for such a fantastic event and to the ladies for joining in. A really great collaborative piece of work between Odils and Zebra with the women who attend the classes, joining in with wider community events.

🌊🌊 Barbican Walk and West Hoe Park 🎪

Last week a group of women from Odils Learning Foundation went on a walk around the Barbican and Hoe and had a visit to West Hoe Park.

We visited Jess and Gemma, two Plymouth Sound National Marine Park Rangers who were doing a survey of marine life in Plymouth Sound. We didn’t see any dolphins, but everyone enjoyed using the telescope and binoculars. The Brittany Ferry arriving from France was also an exciting high point! We then strolled over to West Hoe Park for some activities.

A lovely sunny day, and some women had never been to Plymouth seafront before, so it was an excellent way to introduce them to a nice place to visit and enjoy the summer.

🎉⚽️🏆 Congratulations on a successful first festival🏆⚽️🎉

A huge congratulations to Julius and the team of volunteers who made the first Stonehouse Community Festival such a success.

The festival was organised by Julios Nche who runs the Future Stars Football Club and was supported by the Plymouth Play Scrapstore , Plymouth and Devon Racial Equality Council , Community Builder - Stonehouse, Plymouth Cancer Champions Project and many other local organisations.

It was well attended by children from local schools competing in the football tournament and there was a special visit from the Lord Mayor.

A brilliant day of sunshine, football and community. A very big thank you to the volunteers from Odils who dedicated their time to supporting on the day, we are looking forward to next year’s event

🌿 A Wonderful Day at Caradon Woods 🌿

Our summer cohort from the Stories in Nature Project recently enjoyed a wonderful day immersed in nature at the beautiful Caradon Woods, with some members of the group also staying for an overnight camping experience.

It was a fantastic day filled with activities, learning and connection. Participants took part in woodworking workshops, made musical instruments from natural materials, learned how to safely set up a hammock, enjoyed wild swimming in the river and got involved in a variety of craft activities. There was also the opportunity to prepare and cook food over an open fire, bringing everyone together to share stories and experiences.

Most importantly, the day was full of laughter, conversation and friendship. It was a chance for people to step away from the pressures of everyday life, connect with nature and create lasting memories with one another.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the day such a special experience. 💚

Odils Learning Foundation , Fotonow (CIC) and Greenwood Music CIC would like to thank National Lottery players and the The National Lottery Community Fund for enabling this impactful work to happen”.

🌟 ODILS Staff End of Year Celebration 🌟

Recently, some of the ODILS team came together to celebrate the end of another successful year with a staff social at Kapadokya Restaurant on the Barbican, where we enjoyed a delicious Turkish meal and great company. 🍽️✨

We were delighted to be joined by former teacher and now trustee Liz, as well as Vesna, who recently retired after her many years of dedication and support. 💐❤️

It was a wonderful opportunity to relax, reflect on the year's achievements, and spend time together before the summer break. ☀️😎

We would like to wish all our learners, volunteers, partners and supporters a fantastic summer and look forward to seeing everyone again soon! 🌻📚

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🎉🌍 Women's ESOL Classes End of Year Party 🌍🎉

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the end of another fantastic year with our Women's ESOL classes and Happy Bees Crèche 🐝.

Our learners brought along an incredible selection of homemade dishes from around the world, giving everyone the chance to enjoy and share different cultures through food. 🍲🥗🍛 The day was filled with laughter, friendship and fun as everyone took part in a quiz and celebrated their achievements together. 🎊✨

A huge thank you to everyone who brought food, helped with the preparations and contributed to making the celebration such a wonderful success. Your kindness and support helped create a memorable event for all involved. ❤️

We are so proud of everything our learners have achieved this year and look forward to welcoming everyone back soon! 🌟

🎉 A few weeks ago, our ESOL class in Saltash celebrated the end of the academic year with a wonderful party! 🎊

It was a fantastic morning filled with laughter, conversation and some absolutely delicious food kindly brought in by our students from Afghanistan 🍽️.

Our Volunteer Co-ordinator, Sarah, was delighted to join the celebration and catch up with two of our fantastic Saltash volunteers, Lucy and Margarita 💙.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the day so special.

We are proud of everything our learners have achieved this year and look forward to seeing what comes next! 🌟

☀️ 🌊 A sunny day with Moondogz 🌊☀️

A few weeks ago, we had a brilliant kayaking session with Moondogz. The weather was hot and sunny, and everybody spent more time in the water than in the kayaks! 🚣💦

A big well done to Khalbia and Abol for facing their fear of the water and learning how to float safely 👏🌟

🏆 The Moondogz Man of the Month is Stephen Thomas!

Since the age of 16, he has dedicated himself to youth work and outdoor education, helping young people build confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging.

As a proud father of five and passionate advocate for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), Stephen discovered his calling through outdoor pursuits.
Using both sheltered and white water environments, he empowers people to develop confidence, teamwork, and life skills through paddle sports 🌊

Since joining Moondogz, Stephen has been instrumental in its growth. He has mentored volunteers, developed future water sports leaders, and shown that you don't have to fit a particular mould to enjoy the outdoors, care for the environment, and make a lasting difference in people's lives 🌍

A great big thank you to Stephen, Lee, and Richard for a really fun session, and for continuing to encourage and empower the guys to try new things and, most importantly, enjoy themselves 🙌

🙏 Odils Learning Foundation would like to thank The Rank Foundation and Livewell Southwest Livewell Southwest for the funding and support to enable these mental health and wellbeing sessions to happen.