At its heart, Southport Learning Town seeks to establish lifelong learning as a possibility for all, signalling that whatever your age, background or circumstances, you can learn new knowledge and skills for personal benefit and for the benefit of family and the wider community. We will counter any misconceptions of our town promulgated by the media by advocating inclusion, empathy, tolerance and understanding through learning.

The Initiative
The SLT initiative arose within the community and is being steered by a committee drawn from local learning providers. It brings together representatives from the venerable Southport University Extension Society (SUES), Southport College, Edge Hill University, The Arts Society Southport, Southport u3a, schools, early learning, businesses and Sefton Council. 

At its heart, Southport Learning Town seeks to establish lifelong learning for all, whatever your age, background or circumstances

Supporting the Initiative
To help achieve its objective, Southport Learning Town currently relies on funding from community grants and contributions from local organisations. As the initiative grows, it will seek sponsorship and grants from local, regional and national government. As a not-for-profit organisation, we welcome donations too.
In the first instance, SLT will create a central website where members of our community can easily identify and locate opportunities and support for learning. In this way, cooperation between providers can also be strengthened through our common purpose. New learning connections, special events and ‘Festivals’ that showcase and promote our activities will also feature as part of the website’s dynamic interactions with the community. 

The Aspiration: A UNESCO Learning City
Working collectively, and in alignment with the expectations of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, we aspire to transform Southport into a designated UNESCO Learning City (https://www.uil.unesco.org/en/learning-cities?hub=38), which , amongst other things, will show that Southport:

• effectively mobilizes its resources in every sector to promote inclusive learning
• revitalizes learning in families and communities
• fosters a culture of learning throughout life.

We invite you to join us on our journey and we would welcome your expertise.

Southport Learning Town Management Committee