Celebrating the incredible achievements of adult learners

Group of adult learners holding up their certificates on the staircase in the Victoria Hall at the Greenwich Learns awards ceremony, with Cllr David Gardner and Cllr Asli Mohammed standing either side.

Friday 24 July 2026

The incredible achievements of residents and the council’s delivery partners were celebrated at the annual Adult Community Learning Awards, now in its fourth year.

The ceremony took place in the picture-perfect Victoria Hall at Woolwich Town Hall on Thursday 16 July.

Each of the council’s nine adult learning delivery partners nominated their Learner of the Year to celebrate achievement and improvement, as well as Staff Member of the Year which recognises the excellent support provided by their teams.

This year, the new category of Mayor's Young Learner was introduced to recognise the accomplishments of those aged 19 to 24.

Councillor Asli Mohammed, Cabinet Member for Economy, Town Centres and Co-operatives, opened proceedings and joined the Mayor of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Councillor David Gardner, in presenting winners with their certificates.

The evening was full of heartwarming stories of how students had flourished in their chosen field, grown in confidence and are now ready seek out new opportunities. Mason Dellimore accepted his award on the eve of his first accountancy exam, and the Mayor’s Young Learner winner Jessica Clark also received a second highly commended certificate after being nominated by both Unity Works and GCDA.

Accolades also went to tutors and administrative staff for their unwavering commitment. Jason Bodimeade from Flower Skills received a big cheer when accepting his certificate. The audience were told how the rooms at Flowers Skills HQ are named after Beatles songs, with Jason’s office dubbed ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ in tribute to how often he steps in when help is needed. Georgia Hunt from GCDA was praised for always going above and beyond, shown by the time she accompanied an 87-year-old learner on their bus journey home.

Councillor Asli Mohammed said: “Hearing about the achievements of our learners and the dedicated staff who support them was very touching. Adult learning has opened doors for so many residents leading to new qualifications, better job prospects and increased wellbeing. It was a wonderful evening and I'm immensely proud of the high-quality services offered by our team and delivery partners."

Councillor David Gardner added: "I am delighted by the introduction of Mayor's Young Learner. All the young people nominated were exceptional and it was not easy to select the winners. Listening to the inspirational stories at the ceremony, it is clear adult learning has a profoundly positive impact on the lives of so many and long may it continue. Congratulations to everyone involved."

Everyone at the ceremony enjoyed sandwiches and cakes provided by Bob's Your Uncle. A firm favourite with Eltham locals, the cafe has just opened a new branch at the market pavilion in Woolwich. Head over to our gallery for photos from the evening.

For more information about adult learning and the courses available, please visit Greenwich Learns. Many courses are free to Royal Greenwich residents.

Congratulations to our winners:

Learners of the Year

Abdelmonem Elameen Hashim