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Robert Atter wins Adult Learner of the Year

 

Robert Atter, pictured with his wife, at the Museum of London award ceremony

As part of the 20th Adult Learners’ Week this May, Robert Atter, 58, participant on our Central Station employment programme in Southwark, has won the ESF Adult Learner of the Year 2011 award for the London region.

Adult Learners’ Week awards are given to inspirational people who have achieved remarkable success. Recognising Robert’s determination to transform his life through learning, the award was presented to Robert at the regional ceremony on 17 May at the Museum of London.

Collecting a £200 voucher for his continued learning, together with a framed certificate, Robert said “I worked hard to win this award. I was a bit nervous when I went on the stage, but it was okay when I started talking about what I had done. I might use my vouchers to do an NVQ3. I would like to learn more about laying lawns for sports clubs and how to look after them."

Robert’s story will undoubtedly inspire others. Robert was determined to become a professional gardener. Teaching himself the basics with the help of TV gardening shows and photographic gardening books, he learned to identify the weeds from the plants and kept his dream alive for decades.

Following redundancy from his job as a kitchen porter in 2008, Robert overcame enormous personal difficulties. With support from the determined Maggie Burke, our employment advisor at Work Train Southwark, he embarked on work placements at Walworth Garden Farm and Bankside Open Spaces Trust, gaining two NVQs in horticulture in less than a year.

With further accredited training from the Camden Society, Robert has great ideas for the gardens he maintains as a volunteer and now hopes to put his training into practice by applying for paid work as a gardener. The Camden Society is delighted for Robert and send our warmest congratulations to him.

If you'd like get some training for work or some support to get a job, you can find out more about the Camden Society's employment and training services here.