Adults across Leicestershire who don’t feel confident with numbers and who would like to boost their numeracy skills are being encouraged to take part in activities taking place during Number Confidence Week from 6 to 10 November.
Leicestershire County Council is supporting the initiative, which is led by the charity National Numeracy, with a range of activities and events taking place.
The Rural Coffee Connect van will be taking the number confidence message to communities around the county and Rutland, giving people the chance to pop in for a coffee and a chat about how they can boost their confidence with numbers.
The dates and locations are:
- Tuesday 7 November - Barsby Village Green, Main Street LE7 4RH, 10am-11.30am
- Wednesday 8 November - Asfordby Village Hall, 10am-12noon
- Thursday 9 November - Mental Health Café, Syston Community Centre, 12noon-3pm
Business 2 Business is running three days of fun drop-in activities at John Storer House in Loughborough. On Tuesday 7 November, visitors will be able to pick up a take-home cake kit, to help improve using measurements by baking a tasty cake.
On Wednesday 8 November, the focus will be on making maths fun, giving parents ideas for games to play with their children to support with maths confidence, while Thursday 9 November will be given over to money and energy-saving hints and tips.
All sessions run from 3pm to 5.30pm, and visitors will also get the chance to talk to the team about signing up for their regular money management and maths for logistics course.
Falcon Support Services is holding a Number Confidence drop-in session at the George Smith Hub in Hotel Street, Coalville from 11am to 3pm on Monday 6 November. It will give people the chance to go along and meet the Multiply numeracy coach, chat about numeracy and how to get positive with numbers. Visitors will also be encouraged to check their numeracy skills using National Numeracy’s Numeracy Challenge checker.
An event to showcase the groups and further education providers who are working with Leicestershire County Council to deliver the Multiply adult numeracy programme across the county is also being held in the Members’ Lounge at County Hall from 10am to 12noon on Tuesday 7 November.
The 11 grant-funded providers and three further education providers will each have a stall at the event, where they will showcase the courses and projects that they run under the Multiply banner.
Representatives from the 40-plus organisations which are able to refer eligible people to the Multiply programme are also being invited to the event to learn more about the help and support that the providers are able to offer.
Multiply is a three-year programme to help adults in Leicestershire improve their numeracy skills and enable businesses to upskill their workforces.
The county council was awarded £3 million in government funding for the programme, which has allowed it to deliver hundreds of free courses, workshops and support, to adults who do not already have a GCSE grade C/4 or higher in maths or equivalent and need to improve their numeracy skills.
Multiply gives adults aged 19 and over the numeracy skills they need for everyday life, to allow them to be confident in things like budgeting, working out bills, helping with children’s learning and improving job prospects.
The free Multiply courses are available across Leicestershire in person or online, at work or at home, either on a part-time or intensive basis.
They are being delivered by the council and a range of partners, including further education colleges and training providers, charitable and voluntary groups, and employers.
Half the adult population in the UK struggle with numbers in some way, and many have negative feelings about maths that go back to their school years.
Number Confidence Week is about recognising that how people feel about numbers impacts how they use them. If people can feel more confident with numbers, they will be able to use them to make better decisions with money, to get on at work and to help children with their learning.
We are delighted to be able to work with our grant-funded and further education providers, as well as National Numeracy, to deliver new opportunities to help people to start building their confidence with numbers and to support them on their numeracy journey.
Person:Councillor Christine Radford, cabinet member for adults and communities
More information about the Multiply project is available on our Multiply web page.
Take the Numeracy Challenge today! It's a fun and easy way to assess current skills and identify areas for improvement.