Walid Musa Albuqai

Walid Musa Albuqai grew up in Syria but was forced to flee the country with his wife and three daughters ten years ago because of the war. He’d worked on a farm during his early years and later as a warehouse manager and factory worker but struggled to find a permanent role due to the ongoing conflict.

Walid said: “Because of the situation in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, the United Nations gave families like mine the option to move to the UK. Not everyone moved, but my family and I decided it was the right thing to do. We were told we’d be moving to Swansea, and I was excited because I had never been to Wales before. I love it here because of the people and the beautiful beaches. It’s a very friendly city and I’ve been able to find work which I’m very grateful for.”

When he first arrived in Swansea, Walid spoke very little English. He struggled with basic grammar and sentence structure, so he started studying Entry Level 1 English as a Second Language (ESOL) at Gower College Swansea.

“When I first moved to the UK my English was very basic. My support workers helped a lot, and I volunteered at a charity shop to practice my English and start making friends with people in the local community” he said.

By attending classes regularly, studying outside of class and taking opportunities to practice speaking English, Walid was able to develop his language skills. He also took advantage of online resources including grammar lessons and apps to continue learning outside of his classes.

“My daughters are thirteen, nine and six. They go to English-language schools and have also helped me to improve my English. They, along with my wife, inspire me every day and have encouraged me to turn my dreams into a reality.”

Walid has now completed ESOL Levels 1 and 2 and he applied for a number of jobs including a bus driver role with FirstBus. His passion for driving and language skills shone through during the interview, and he got the job.

“I absolutely love working as a bus driver. Practically, the exam wasn’t too difficult, but the theory test was hard. I wouldn’t have been able to do the interview without my English skills. I owe my career to those classes.”

Walid is now looking ahead to the future and hoping to complete ESOL Level 3 before re-training as a driving instructor. He says, “I would like to encourage others to return to learning and pursue their goals, no matter how challenging it may seem. My advice is to work hard and never give up. Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. I am excited to see where my journey takes me as I continue to make my way towards my goals and making a difference in my community.”

Rachel Parker

Rachel Parker was born into a chaotic home life with alcoholic parents and little support at the time for her development and schooling. After being taken into care, she left school at a young age and found her escape in drugs and alcohol. After years of addiction, Rachel is now clean, and on her way to achieving her dream of becoming a counsellor.

She explains: “Drugs and alcohol took me out of my reality, but it was stunting my growth and limiting my potential.” Rachel became a young mother at 18 after giving birth to her daughter Holly who was born blind and had other severe disabilities. It was difficult for her to provide the level of care Holly needed while she was in active addiction. After losing custody of Holly, Rachel’s life spiralled, with her addiction taking over.

Despite her addiction, Rachel had dreams of a career where she could help others. She looked up to her substance misuse counsellors: “Throughout my treatment I would often think to myself, if I could stay clean, perhaps I could do their job one day.”

Rachel noticed that people found her approachable and would regularly go to her with their problems, which she always made time to listen to. “Sadly, I was in no position to train to become a counsellor while living in active addiction.” She explained.

Years later, once Rachel was able to get herself clean and remain sober, she was able to start thinking about training and turning her life around. She remembers: “It wasn’t until I began to realise that my lifestyle was killing me, that I begged my counsellor for help to get me into rehabilitation. Thankfully, she secured the funding, and I believe she saved my life.”

In 2017, she began training with Addysg Oedolion Cymru | Adult Learning Wales., Nicola Holmes, nominated Rachel for the award said: “Rachel’s story is one of determination, dedication, and personal growth. She’s had many setbacks during her journey, and at times had days when she doubted herself. Yet I have never met someone so determined to make a change, not only for their own future but for all those who need support just like she did all those years ago.”

Now, nine years sober, Rachel has been a qualified counsellor for a year, having completed over 100 hours of counselling to pass her diploma. “Qualifying felt surreal, I was ecstatic and so proud of myself.” says Rachel.

She works regularly at the Narcotics Anonymous helpline, saying “I want to counsel people because I want to give back, I don’t want to be a nuisance to society.”

Rachel’s faith has kept her strong throughout the many losses she’s endured, including the death of her daughter Holly two years after she became sober.

She has progressed through her Level 2 and 3 diplomas, studying for a Level 4 diploma has been placed on hold while she takes time to deal with her health conditions. She remains a strong advocate for adult learning, saying, “You’ve got to go for it and give yourself that opportunity. You’re going to meet new people, make new friends, and learn a lot about yourself and the world around you.”

John Gates

Fatma Al Nahdy

John Spence

John began his learning journey with the Open University in 2010, graduating seven years later with a BSc (Hons) in Health Sciences, an achievement he describes as “the most extraordinary of my life.”

John had struggled to learn at school, he had severe dyslexia and ADHD and had been told that “he would amount to nothing and did not deserve to be taught with others”. He says, “I was constantly made to feel and look stupid. Mocked by my teachers and belittled in front of other children. I was made to stand on a chair and asked to read in front of the class. They made an example of me, not realising I desperately needed help. My confidence was crushed, and I developed a stutter.”

Joining the army after leaving school, John saw active service as an Army Commando in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pushed to his physical limits he had a successful military life, but he continued to struggle with the personal demons seeded in his childhood.

He had never told anyone that he couldn’t read or write. It was only when he left the Army in 2000 and was working as an Ocean Paramedic, that his secret was discovered. “I used to memorise everything I learned by heart. The military is very physical, so it was easy to hide. But I always knew I’d be terrible in an exam.” His instructor noticed something was wrong and told him he was bright enough to progress in his dream career in medicine – and encouraged him, aged 34, to rejoin education.

John made nervous enquiries with the Open University. Assessments for dyslexia were made and with the support of tutors he progressed well. He was then diagnosed with a visual disorder associated with dyslexia. Despite needing to take longer to read through text books and complete assignments, John kept going, investing time and effort in mastering assistive technology. Working off shore brought additional challenges at exam time but these were overcome by recruiting the Ship’s Captain to act as an invigilator!

Graduating was a hugely emotional day. “There are no words to describe the dedication, patience and encouragement I received from my tutors. I started with them as a broken soldier, but now after a long journey I have progressed and I’m running my own teaching medical company.”

John is now a senior medical officer, travelling the world, responsible for the health of a crew of 150 and running his own medical business, PATRONAS Rescue International. His business is based on the principle of supporting others, teaching pre-hospital emergency care to teams of medics and supporting medical evacuations abroad and in the UK. He says, “If only my teachers had believed in me and not dismissed me as a ‘naughty’ child. I never imagined life could be like this. I was failed by education the first time, but I’m so glad I was given a second chance.”

Following his graduation John has become an Open University Ambassador, raising over £40,000 which has been used to establish a Disabled Veterans Scholarship Fund.

Rhiannon Norfolk

Having the opportunity to learn Welsh again was a key factor in Rhiannon Norfolk’s decision to move back to Wales. She inherited her love of ‘Welshness’ from her mum and dad, who are originally from South Wales, and used to take her on holidays very summer to Gwynedd.

These family holidays inspired her to study at Bangor University where she planned to become proficient in the language, but her busy university schedule meant she had to drop her Welsh lessons. “I got on with life, as you do, but Wales has always felt like home and I had this yearning for the language.”

It wasn’t until she was living in Wiltshire years later that a chance encounter would see Rhiannon return to Welsh. “I saw a poster for a folk band called Calan, who were playing at the town hall in Chippenham,” she said. “I went along on my own and loved it. I felt a huge connection to the beautiful sounds of the Welsh language with the moving music, and it brought back some of what I had learned.”

When she saw a job advertised in her field of health service evaluation, she applied, got the job and moved to Wales. A year later, she has almost completed a fast-track foundation-level Welsh course at Penarth Learning Community.

“I felt really nervous going along but I was assured that I could build on the language skills I already had, despite them being rusty,” she said. “I worried I’d be so far behind everyone else with my very basic Welsh and that I hadn’t learned for 13 years, but it was brilliant. Everyone was so welcoming and it’s amazing how much you remember.”

Rhiannon attends the class for two hours every week alongside Saturday schools. She joins a reading group at Palmerston Adult Community Learning Centre in Barry and has attended a Welsh residential weekend with her mum, Gill, who is also learning at classes near her home in Monmouth. After receiving outstanding results for her entry exam, Rhiannon is now getting ready to sit her foundation assessment. “Learning Welsh has been a complete joy for me, I finally feel like I’m home.”

Rhiannon suffers with depression, anxiety and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, which requires the use of walking sticks or a wheelchair and causes her constant pain and fatigue.

She said: “Coming to Welsh classes has made a great difference to my mental health and I take it at my own pace, taking a break in class if I need to. Learning gives me structure and a place to make friends. It’s helped me to keep my brain active and given me a sense of purpose and achievement. Giving up on Welsh was always a regret and I wanted to sort that out, and I feel so fulfilled now that I have.”

Suzanne Condon nominated Rhiannon, she says “It is clear that other learners in class love to practice with her, she’s brilliant at encouraging them to say as much as they can. She’s a learner on a mission and she inspires others.”