We're looking at social inclusion as much as the provision of education. Being housebound damages confidence, learning isn't easy and your self-esteem plummets. For some long-term sick and disabled people, Housebound Learners can be the first step back into the world, she says. It's not about having a visiting expert telling you something, but somebody who's going to share things with you, who wants to know what you think. Tutors are trained in how to establish a relationship with the person at home and pass on the information in a successful and interesting way.
Volunteers are usually just one step ahead of their home students.
Or they can select from wider curricula offered by local adult education. Housebound Learners is based in Putney, south London. Most of the 82 learners over the past year live in the borough of Wandsworth. There are a further 25 on the waiting list. My vision is that we are an umbrella organisation that can enable other smaller providers to set up.