Writing by Megan Fearon, Head of Impact and Engagement
On 22 May, we gathered for the 55th AONTAS Annual General Meeting, a powerful day of reflection and connection. Guided by our theme of Connecting Communities, the day was an opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues and celebrate the strength of adult and community education across the island.
Our Chairperson, John D’Arcy, opened the proceedings, highlighting the launch of our new Members Hub. It’s our new online space for our members to connect on everything related to adult education on the island of Ireland. You can get involved here.
John also shared how recent AONTAS research on the impact of adult and community education in Northern Ireland has resonated with his own colleagues across the UK – a testament to the impact of our work.
The day included the election of new board members. We extended our deepest thanks to Liam McCarthy for his years of service to AONTAS and warmly welcomed Lynn Simpson, Training Manager at CASPr – the Community Afterschools Project, to the AONTAS family.
Our CEO Dearbháil Lawless took us through a snapshot of 2024, re-committing us to our core values of social justice and collective action. Guided by our strategic plan, we reached 81.5 million points of contact with people in 2024 and hosted 166 events during the Adult Learners’ Festival. We advocated tirelessly – from launching a manifesto in the Dáil to championing campaigns like Holding You Back, ensuring that the voices of learners were not just heard, but acted upon. Our work extended to Northern Ireland, where we collaborated with the Alliance for Lifelong Learning to measure and champion the impact of adult education.
We also strengthened connections across our Community Education Network, bringing together 100 independent groups through coffee mornings, CEN meetings, and Erasmus+ adventures across Europe. Within AONTAS itself, we focused on fostering an inclusive and flexible workplace, ensuring our team thrives as they continue to support and amplify the sector.
We moved on to host roundtable discussions, with each table digging into a different question, all of which tied into the theme of Connecting Communities to ensure everyone’s voice was heard. The insights and ideas that emerged from these chats will feed directly into our advocacy campaign later this year and will help shape the programme of work for the rest of 2025.
The highlight of the AGM was undoubtedly the Learner Voice Panel, chaired by Lillian Nwanze from Maynooth University, who is also an AONTAS Board member and has a way of bringing out the best in people. Lillian reminded us that when learners share their stories, they build empathy and connection – the essence of what we do.
Swelihle Millicent Dlamini, from Dignity Partnership, shared her experience as a migrant in Ireland, speaking about the challenge of racism and how it often comes from a place of not knowing. Swelihle told us, “Racism happens because we don’t have enough information. It’s always up to us to challenge it and get knowledge.”
John O’Driscoll, involved in the Great to Train initiative with Cork Simon and Cork ETB, spoke about how education has transformed his life. He said, “There’s something out there besides the path I took. That was nothing but pain and suffering but now I am educating myself and I don’t feel like an outsider anymore.”
It was a powerful reminder that education doesn’t just open doors – it can be a lifeline.
We also heard from Helena Wall, whose journey through education has been about defying expectations and finding her place in the world. After leaving school at an early age, she spoke about how her learning as an adult through South East Technological University has rippled out to her children, showing them that anything is possible. “We are supported, encouraged, listened to and accepted for who we are… what people see, they will do,” she said, and in that simple statement, she captured the heart of community education.
Then there was Nikita Thompson from Ballybeen Women’s Centre in Northern Ireland, who spoke about the joy of reconnecting with old friends and making new ones – even across generations – and how her children watch her doing her homework at the kitchen table, inspired by her example. “Education is a pebble in the water and the ripple effect goes on,” she said. “Education is vital in life. You never stop learning.” Her words spoke to the hope and possibility that education brings – not just for ourselves, but for those around us.
These stories are a reminder of the impact of adult and community education – not just on individuals, but on families, communities, and society as a whole.
As we move forward, we remain committed to amplifying these voices and working together for equality, social justice, and lifelong learning for all.
Thank you to everyone who joined us on the day and continues to be part of this movement.