Directory: Learning

Join us at the Cheese & Grain in Frome for our Digital Café, where you can bring your devices, ask questions about ‘how to’ or just share stories about your digital experiences and more.

Thursday mornings from 10:00-11:30. Grab yourself some refreshments and join our table. This is a free of charge service, although refreshments are charged. Cheese and Grain cafe, Market Way, Frome BA11 1BE

Get free advice and help from Spark IT at the Digital Café, where you can bring your devices, ask questions about ‘how to’ or just share stories about your digital experiences and more. Monday’s 10-12 noon,  St John’s Church, High Street Glastonbury, BA6 9DR

Get free advice and help from Spark IT at the Digital Café, where you can bring your devices, ask questions about ‘how to’ or just share stories about your digital experiences and more.  Thursday afternoons from 2pm -4pm,  find us in The Computer area at Shepton Mallet Library, 2 Market Place, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5AZ.

Edventure offer the MAKE shed and courses to young adults aged 18-35 whether you are out of work, looking for a new direction or just want to gain confidence.

The phone line is answered between 9am – 1pm Monday to Friday.

For more information give them a call or visit their website. The MAKE course is free.

Feeling part of your community, getting involved in heritage activities and learning more about the heritage of where we live is good for our wellbeing. Frome Family History Group is a small but warm welcoming and very enthusiastic group who are well versed in the history of Frome and surrounding villages. They are also happy to help with local family history enquires and occasionally have outings of special interest. The group organise talks at Frome Library (Justice Lane, BA11 1BE) on the last Tuesday of each month apart from August and December (cost £3).

Frome’s guided walk programme mixes perennial favourites such as Foul Frome, Sense of Place and Julian Hight’s Heritage Tree Walk. Frome Guided Walks are also now running the Frome Society for Local Study’s walks which remain on the second Sunday of each month throughout the season.  Unless otherwise stated all of the walks listed take between around 90 minutes and usually cover 1-2km.

Email the Guided Walks team for more information or to book a place.

Feeling part of your community, getting involved in heritage activities and learning more about the heritage of where we live is good for our wellbeing. The collections in the museum include local archaeological and historical artefacts related to the historical development of Frome. Visit the museum website for information on open days, museum tours and occasional heritage events. Their extensive archive and resources are open to the public for research purposes (by appointment only). Alternatively, much of their archive has been catalogued and is online through their website.

Frome Library runs ‘Learn My Way’ basic computer courses, including modules on browsing the web, staying safe online, email, shopping, and social media. If you are stuck with something specific we will do our best to help. You can use our computers or bring your own laptop or tablet.

You need to be over 18 and a member of the library. Sessions are held on Mondays and Thursdays 9.30 – 12.00. Phone or come into the library to find out more or book a place.

The Frome Society for Local Study is a membership organisation that runs trips (spring/summer) and has a lecture programme (autumn/winter). Lectures are free to members, non-members £5. Annual membership subscription £15 individual, £20 couple.

Visit their website for more information

The HOPE Programme is a free self-management course designed to empower individuals to discover their strengths and find new ways to cope with whatever life throws at them. Supported by trained facilitators, people will be able to meet others in the same situation and learn new skills that will help them on their journey to feeling better and more hopeful.

Keyford History Group organise talks and undertake research projects related to local community. The group also collaborates with theatrical companies to turn historical subjects into performances and plays. Free to join the research group or to attend talks. Email to find out more about joining.

Learn My Way is a website of free online courses, built by Good Things Foundation to help people develop their digital skills.

The website contains over 30 free courses designed to help beginners get started with the online basics – using a mouse, keyboard, setting up email accounts and using internet search engines – while also offering plenty to help people develop their digital skills further. Health Connections Mendip are an online learning center, Please enter the code 80006569 when registering.

We offer a wide range of courses (some free) and a supportive learning environment, with friendly tutors to help you achieve your goals. We provide nationally recognised qualifications, traineeships, apprenticeships, training and career development courses, maths and English, digital skills and a range of distance learning courses.

The Somerset Wellbeing and Recovery College offers opportunities to learn about mental health and recovery by providing a unique curriculum designed to increase your knowledge, understanding and skills to equip you with the tools to live a meaningful, productive and fulfilling life.

Students are people with lived experience of mental health difficulties who wish to learn to live well, for their family and friends, and the professionals who support them. We do not take referrals from clinicians and our students do not have to be using mental health services to access any of our courses.

All courses are free and are listed on the website, link below. They take place across Somerset.

Whether you are searching for your next job opportunity, starting a new career, working on your employability skills or just beginning your journey in the world of work, Step Up Somerset provides information and support to help you.

The Step Up Somerset website provides information on skills development, training, job opportunities, redundancy support, support for businesses and career progression.

As part of the project, one to one support will be available in all four of Somerset’s district council areas, where people will be able to get help and advice on looking for a job, writing or updating their CV, interview preparation, apprenticeships, and skills training.

Shepton Mallet U3A runs a number of groups including several walking groups, singing for pleasure and weekly coffee mornings. There are also u3a groups in Oakhill, Doulting, Evercreech and Prestleigh.

The coffee morning is held every Thursday morning at 10:30am in the conservatory of the restaurant at Dobbies Garden World in Shepton Mallet. This is a social gathering for all U3A members, their friends and anyone else who would like to find out more information about the U3A. There is no specific age limit but members are in their ‘third age’ i.e. retired or approaching retirement, and most meetings take place during the day. Annual membership costs £14, or you can join for the half year fee for £7.