Adult education centres to shut across county

The Eco Centre in Wirksworth is one of the affected sites

Several adult education centres are set to close this summer across Derbyshire, with uncertainty over whether courses offered within them will continue.

Learning centres such as the Eco Centre in Wirksworth, and centres in Alfreton, Ashbourne, Matlock, Shirebrook, Long Eaton and the Toolbox in Glossop will cease to offer adult education courses at the end of July, Derbyshire County Council said.

The Reform UK-run authority said it was part of a review into adult education services and was "based on changing priorities of the funding bodies that pay for our community adult education service".

The authority said it was looking into whether courses could be run in alternative venues, or "if we run them at all in the future".

No final decisions have been made.

The council receives funding for the centres predominantly from central government and the East Midlands Mayoral Combined Authority.

Earlier this year the government cut the adult skills budget by about 6%.

The council has sought to move a number of services away from bricks and mortar bases in recent years incorporating more home-based models in areas like social care, or deploying more use of digital technology.

'Extremely disappointing'

Alan Squires is a member of a weekly pottery group at the Eco Centre in Wirksworth, which has been given a six-week notice to pack up its clay and glazes, potter's wheels, kilns and other kit and vacate.

He said: "It's very sudden - it's not the end of the next financial year, it's next month and we're out on our ear.

"There's a lot of people that rely upon the centre for mental wellbeing.

"People will be lost. It performs a crucial role in all sorts of aspects and other centres do things like teaching basic English and maths and essential skills for life.

"People need to be made aware of what's now being cut way beyond the bone in terms of functions of the county council."

Derbyshire's Conservative group leader Alex Dale said the decision was "extremely disappointing" and pointed the finger at funding cuts from central government.

He said: "We will be pushing to ensure, at the very least, that alternative venues can be found for as many courses as possible in those communities affected.

"Adult education plays a vitally important role and it's essential that it remains accessible to all."

The BBC contacted the Department for Education and the East Midlands Mayor's office for comment.

A spokesperson for the East Midlands Mayoral Combined Authority said it had awarded the same level of funding for 2025/26 as the previous year to protect support for "a wide range of adult learning programmes from English language and family learning to personal wellbeing and skills for life".

They said they would like to see a change in government funding from annual allocations to a longer-term funding pot, adding: "Looking to the future, the government's commitment to provide £1.2bn nationally for adult skills in the Spending Review is a starting point, and we will make the case for a fair slice of this funding to come to the region."