Jan Blakey
After leaving school in 1976, Jan Blakey, 48, devoted most of her time to working in a succession of low-paid jobs whilst caring for her young children and family. When an accident meant Jan was unable to work, she decided to take up learning, realising that she “still had the ability to be useful to myself, family and my community.”
Thanks to the SRB6 (Single Regeneration Budget) funding programme in Durham, Jan took a number of courses in community centres on a range of subjects, including IT, health, local planning and local history. After this she began volunteering with the Community Network. This led to her organising training courses that have benefited hundreds of people across 12 former mining villages around the Durham City area. As a result, she was awarded a County Durham Adult Learner Award for her voluntary work in 2005.
“Becoming a training organiser and Vice Chair for the 12 Villages Community Network has given me the opportunity to develop skills alongside people from different backgrounds and has made me the person I am today. I started learning for personal reasons and ended up doing it for community ones”, said Jan.
Jan is about to complete a two-year Foundation Degree in Working in the Voluntary and Community Sector. She volunteers for a range of organisations, including Mental Health North East, and has been elected as a County Councillor, where she is Chair of the Council’s Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Committee.
