Exercise Classes - More to Them than Meets the Eye - Brake

7.43.22pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 22nd Jun 2008

Tom Brake was invited to join an exercise class on Friday at the Sutton College of Learning for Adults (Scola) in the old Town Hall in Wallington.

Adult learning can make a world of difference to people's lives

The main purpose of the invitation was not to help him get fit, but to allow women on the course to put across their concerns about the future of informal learning courses. These are particularly popular with senior citizens.

Their fears have been triggered by a Government consultation on informal learning which has just finished. The consultation results are due to be published in September. Scola users are worried that the emphasis on using adult learning to get people back into work, will lead to a further reduction in the number of courses or further significant price rises.

Tom said, "Informal courses such as exercise classes or pilates can make a huge difference to people's health and also provide a fantastic opportunity to meet new people and get out and about. The Government mustn't allow their bid to get people back to work to blind them to the value of informal courses."