Informal Learning Fund

Partnership bids between museums, libraries and archives and self-organised groups of adult learners are now available from the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) to support them in the use of spaces and resources in creative and innovative ways. Groups may apply for grants of up to £5,000 from a pot of £100,000. A new Challenge Fund to promote adult informal learning is now available to museums, libraries and archive venues in England. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is looking for partnership bids with self-organised groups of adult learners to support them in the use of our spaces and resources in new ways. Museums, libraries and archives may apply for grants of up to £5000 from a pot of £100,000. The minimum that organisations can apply for is £500 for projects to be delivered by end March 2010.

The Government defines informal adult learning as learning for its own intrinsic value. The term covers a huge variety of activities; it could include a reading group in a village hall, a music class in an FE college, researching the National Gallery collection on-line or taking part in a volunteer project to record the living history of a particular community. The deadline for applications is 17 July. All applications to the MLA Informal Adult Learning Challenge Fund 2009–2010 must be made on the application form available on the MLA website.