Funding has been made available to East Midlands Councils via the national government to support English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) coordination and capacity-building across the East Midlands. The programme focuses on supporting people on the Homes for Ukraine, Communities for Afghans and Hong Kong BN(O) routes, with all funded activity required to be completed by the end of March 2026.
A total of £223,000 has been distributed by East Midlands Councils (EMC) to support a coordinated, region-wide approach to ESOL delivery and development.
Programme Objectives
The funding has been allocated across three core objectives.
1. Developing and embedding regional ESOL coordination
This strand focuses on strengthening collaboration and consistency across the region through:
- Embedding and progressing local-level collaborative provider networking
- Convening a region-level good practice conference
- Developing and deploying a robust, searchable online ESOL database and mapping tool
2. Supporting continuing professional development for ESOL tutors
Funding has been provided to local authorities to strengthen existing CPD initiatives, with a particular emphasis on trauma-informed practice and workforce development.
3. Increasing informal ESOL provision and capacity
This includes the development of a community ESOL grant programme for VCSE providers, prioritising Pre-Entry provision and trauma-informed approaches.
Delivery Partner and Regional Activity
Following a competitive tender process, EMC appointed Migrant English Support Hub (MESH) to support delivery of key elements of the programme.
MESH is providing technical and advisory support to collaborative ESOL networking. Local ESOL forums have already taken place in:
- Derby and Derbyshire
- Leicester and Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Nottingham and Nottinghamshire
A forum for Northamptonshire is currently being convened.
Regional ESOL Conference
A region-level ESOL conference will take place on 12 February in Nottingham, with 40 providers currently signed up to attend. The event will bring together ESOL stakeholders from across the East Midlands and will include contributions from:
The conference will focus on sharing good practice, policy context and practical approaches to delivery.
Learning English in the East Midlands (LEEM)
Building on research and mapping undertaken in 2024, the programme is delivering a new searchable, web-based ESOL resource: Learning English in the East Midlands (LEEM).
The tool provides a comprehensive overview of ESOL provision across the region and is expected to significantly improve visibility, coordination and referral pathways.
ESOL Tutor Development and Workforce Support
Local authority adult skills leads were invited to propose CPD projects with a particular emphasis on trauma-informed practice and workforce development. Proposals have been agreed with six localities:
- Leicester
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Nottingham
- Derby
- Nottinghamshire
VCSE Community ESOL Grant Programme
A dedicated grant programme has been established to strengthen community-based ESOL provision delivered by voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations across the East Midlands.
A total of £117,773 has been awarded to support 14 VCSE-led projects, benefitting approximately 1,800 Individuals, focused on expanding Pre-Entry ESOL capacity and embedding trauma-informed practice.
These organisations include: [Click to expand]
- FEE Cafe
- Language Tuition Nottingham
- Vanclaron
- Stamford Diversity Group
- Inspire
- Acts Trust
- Derbyshire Hong Kong CIC
- CEEA
- Community Lab
- Refugee Roots
- Integrate
- Signpost to Polish Success
- Northampton Town of Sanctuary
- Belong
Next Steps and Evaluation
EMC’s funding of more than 20 projects across the region represents a significant step forward in regional ESOL coordination. The deployment of LEEM in particular marks a major development and has been widely anticipated across the sector.
The programme is now moving into its data-gathering and evaluation phase to assess impact and inform future regional work.
For further information, please contact noel.oxford@emcouncils.gov.uk or visit emcouncils.gov.uk.