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Our mission at ELC schools

Our higher purpose at ELC is to provide transformative experiences that increase mutual understanding whilst celebrating our diversity. As an educational charity, we are free to do what is best for our students and our charitable objectives.

ELC is an educational charity

The English Language Centre is a not-for-profit organisation that runs schools in Brighton, Chester and Eastbourne to teach English to overseas students. Our courses and teaching provide effective training for students who need English for their work, study, travel or personal pleasure. We understand that everyone is unique with different needs and different goals. We are committed to providing you with individual attention to help you achieve your goals.

We look forward to welcoming you to our schools: ELC Brighton, ELC Chester and ELC Eastbourne.

Our mission

To transform lives by enabling people to better communicate globally through:

  • teaching of the English language
  • promoting inter-cultural understanding
  • encouraging appreciation of the different ways we all live, think and learn

Our goals and values

Excellence: we aim to offer the highest standards in teaching, training, services and facilities

Integrity: we aim to be honest, fair and ethical in all our relationships

Innovation: we believe in constantly reviewing and developing our teaching, facilities, services and staff

Respect: we endeavour to treat everyone equally and with respect, understanding that everyone is unique with different needs and different goals

Collaboration: we recognise the importance of working and studying together, as a team

Governance

There are no owners or shareholders. The English Language Centre is managed by a Senior Management Team led by the Chief Executive, Phil Hopkins, who reports to a non-executive voluntary Board of Trustees / Governors. The SMT also includes the heads of the Chester and Eastbourne schools, Nigel Warwick and John Veale.

The Trustees are:

  • Richard Stewart (chair)
  • Richard Day
  • Howard Kidd
  • John Rudd
  • John Tiernan
  • Katy Wells
  • Michael West

Charitable Activities

In accordance with its aims, the charity undertakes a number of activities to support the teaching of English and development of English language teaching both locally and internationally including:

  • providing language training for refugees from RefuAid to enable them to gain the language qualifications necessary to retrain and work in the UK in their field
  • providing language training in Eastbourne for unaccompanied asylum seeking children aged 16-18 from the Enthum Foundation
  • providing grants to English in the Community in Eastbourne to deliver English courses to local migrants
  • providing grants to Migrant English Project in Brighton to deliver English training to local migrants
  • offering the Graham Smith ELC Eastbourne scholarship to enable a teacher to attend the annual IATEFL Conference
  • offering the Robert O’Neill ELC Brighton scholarship to enable a teacher to attend the annual IATEFL Conference
  • providing grants to Heart Children’s Home in Malindi, Kenya to support the education of the children at this orphanage.

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