Everything you need to know
- WhereAlbert Park, Middlesbrough. We meet at the main gates and walk from there.
- WhenWednesdays, 1:30–2:30pm. Come for the whole hour or just part of it.
- CostFree. There is nothing to pay and nothing to bring.
- ChildrenWelcome. Buggies and prams are fine on the park paths.
- BookingNone needed. Just turn up. If you’d rather tell us first, send a message.
- PaceGentle. We walk slowly, stop when we like, and sit down if anyone needs to.
Five simple steps
Prompts arrive during the week
A few simple conversation prompts are shared in the WhatsApp group — the weather, the shops, an appointment, directions. You can look at them, practise, or ignore them entirely.
We meet at the park gates
Volunteers are there first with a warm hello. Nobody is asked to introduce themselves formally or say anything they don’t want to.
We walk in small groups
Two or three participants with a volunteer. Side by side, at whatever pace suits the group, with the prompts there if conversation needs a nudge.
We stop, sit and have a cup of tea
Halfway round there is usually a bench and a flask. This is the part where friendships happen, and where the children get a run around.
You tell us what helped
What was useful? What was too hard? What do you want to be able to say next week? Your answers change the following session — that is how this works.
And then you come back
Confidence builds through repetition, not intensity. One hour, every week, in the same friendly place.
Language for real life
Not grammar drills. The things you actually need to say this week.
Shops and money
Asking for what you need, understanding prices, finding the right aisle, asking someone to repeat themselves.
Appointments
The GP, the school, the housing office. Booking, explaining, asking what happens next.
Directions
Where things are, how to get there, which bus, and how to ask when you’re lost.
Family and children
Talking to teachers, describing what your child needs, arranging things with other parents.
Weather and small talk
The ordinary openings that let a conversation start at all — the most useful English there is.
Asking for support
Knowing what help exists locally, and having the words to ask for it yourself.
The WhatsApp group
A quiet, administrator-led group that carries the week’s prompts and a reminder about Wednesday.
- Prompts, not homeworkShort and practical. Read them, use them, or don’t — nobody is checking.
- Privacy comes firstThe group is administrator-led. Participants’ contact details are not shared with each other.
- One reminder a weekWe keep it light. No daily messages and no pressure to reply.
What the pilot sets out to do
The programme runs from April to September and is evaluated as it goes.
Empower participants
Support migrant ESL women to build confidence to learn and use English, to prioritise their own learning, and to engage more fully in community life.
Connect volunteers
Walking outdoors while talking and helping promotes wellbeing, and meeting people from other backgrounds supports understanding and integration.
Build a framework
Develop, trial, evaluate and improve an ESOL framework, approach and materials for informal settings that can be shared more widely.
And evaluate honestly
The evaluation provides data to support future funding applications and extension of the provision to other settings and locations. Subject to participant consent, the resulting digital stories are used to extend the project’s reach and give these women a voice.