About
Since September 2021, ESOL Cafe has been run entirely by a team of experienced volunteers.
We manage all the administration and programme of ESOL Cafe, and take it in turns to lead a session. It has been encouraging that the sessions have been well attended, with lots of conversation with the learners, creating a great atmosphere in the room.
We manage all the administration and programme of ESOL Cafe, and take it in turns to lead a session. It has been encouraging that the sessions have been well attended, with lots of conversation with the learners, creating a great atmosphere in the room.
History of ESOL Cafe
ESOL Cafe was started at Chesterton Community College by Sarah Adams in 2013, and it ran successfully until the start of the Covid pandemic. Sarah developed ESOL Cafe over the years, and added classes depending on learners' requirements. She also arranged many social activities. Sarah was joined by a group of volunteers who helped in the classes so that learners benefitted from smaller groups, and often one-to-one tuition. Many students from around the world have passed through ESOL Cafe, some staying several years, others just a few weeks, and we have enjoyed meeting them all.
Unfortunately Covid put an end to all the classes in March 2020, and it also coincided with Sarah moving away from Cambridge. At that point, it seemed ESOL Cafe had come to an end. However, once lockdown started to ease, many of the former volunteers said that they would like to see ESOL Cafe start up again in some form, and in September 2021 ESOL Cafe resumed in a new venue - St Laurence's Church, Milton Road, Cambridge . It is a perfect venue for us with a large well-ventilated meeting room opening out onto a garden area with 3 double doors. We held 7 sessions during October and November 2021, then we stopped again when covid infections rose. For a few months we met for coffee, sitting outside at The Locker Cafe in town. Since Easter 2022 we have been back at St Laurence's Church, and have a programme running every Tuesday mornings in term time from 10-12.
The volunteers are grateful to Sarah for her help and advice in continuing with ESOL Cafe, including her generous donation of many resources and materials.
Unfortunately Covid put an end to all the classes in March 2020, and it also coincided with Sarah moving away from Cambridge. At that point, it seemed ESOL Cafe had come to an end. However, once lockdown started to ease, many of the former volunteers said that they would like to see ESOL Cafe start up again in some form, and in September 2021 ESOL Cafe resumed in a new venue - St Laurence's Church, Milton Road, Cambridge . It is a perfect venue for us with a large well-ventilated meeting room opening out onto a garden area with 3 double doors. We held 7 sessions during October and November 2021, then we stopped again when covid infections rose. For a few months we met for coffee, sitting outside at The Locker Cafe in town. Since Easter 2022 we have been back at St Laurence's Church, and have a programme running every Tuesday mornings in term time from 10-12.
The volunteers are grateful to Sarah for her help and advice in continuing with ESOL Cafe, including her generous donation of many resources and materials.
