A member of the Lancashire Adult Learning (LAL) teaching team found herself rubbing shoulders with royalty last week as she was invited to King Charles III’s first Buckingham Palace Garden Party since his coronation.

Sarah Haworth, the Head of Curriculum for Health and Wellbeing, Horticulture, Family Learning, Art & Humanities at Lancashire Adult Learning received a nomination from Holex, the lead professional body for Adult Community Education and Learning to attend the party last Tuesday.

Sarah, who took her mother along with her, enjoyed afternoon tea in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, on what turned out to be a lovely May afternoon. The event took place a mere three days after the King’s Coronation celebrations. Sarah and her mother had the honour of mingling with the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as many other distinguished guests.

When asked about the once-in-a-lifetime experience, Sarah said:

“I felt extremely honoured to be nominated by Holex and receive an invite to attend the garden party.

“This was an incredible opportunity, and it was wonderful to share it with my Mum who is 76 and a huge fan of the Royal Family.

“On the day there were 8,000 attendees who had each been invited in recognition of the positive impact they have made in their community, and it was wonderful to meet some of these people and share stories.

“Attending this event for me, served as a reminder of all the good that happens every day in so many ways and that the world is an incredible place full of kind and selfless people, which can sometimes be hard to focus on with the volume of negative press that can surround us daily.”

Sarah’s invitation to the palace was in recognition of her outstanding contributions to adult community education in Lancashire, both through her work at LAL and within National forums.

In March 2022, alongside her team of fantastic colleagues, Sarah played a key role in the College Group and LAL achieving an “Outstanding” grade with Ofsted, the UK government’s education watchdog. Since then, good practice has been shared to the wider Adult Community Learning sector through Holex to its members. LAL, as a member of the Nelson and Colne College Group, is the only Further Education College in Lancashire to hold the “Outstanding” title.

Due to the efforts of hard working and committed educators such as Sarah, LAL is now also the number one provider of adult education in the whole of Lancashire, according to the governments most recent National Achievement Rate Tables (NART) – and second in the entire country!

LAL’s success in engaging adults into education and training opportunities through its innovative curriculum has made a real difference in the lives of countless individuals across Lancashire, and Sarah’s contributions have been integral to this achievement. Her expertise and dedication have ensured that LAL continues to be a pioneer in the field, providing high-quality education that meets the needs of its students and the wider community.

The recognition that Sarah has received is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and vision of herself and of likeminded individuals at LAL. With Sarah’s contributions, LAL will continue to be at the forefront of promoting health and wellbeing through education, setting an example for other providers to follow.

Andrew Parkin, the Assistant Principal for Adult Learning at the Nelson & Colne College Group, said:

“Sarah’s invitation is a testament to her excellent work at the national policy level, which has helped LAL lead the way and influence national policy.”

Furthermore, Tracey Baron; Deputy Principal for Curriculum and Quality at Nelson and Colne College Group said:

“Sarah consistently goes above and beyond to bring first steps learning and qualifications for adults across the county.

“The huge impact that Sarah and her team have in contributing to the health and wellbeing agenda of Lancashire County Council and also providing professional development routes for adult returners is phenomenal!”