Adult learner wins prizes in national writing contest
Adult learner Sourat Fatima has won prizes after being shortlisted in a national creative writing competition.
Sourat, 26, from Beaconsfield, is originally from Pakistan and has been learning English for the last year at the Buckinghamshire Adult Learning centre in Green Street, High Wycombe.
She competed against 200 other learners from schools, colleges and adult learning centres all over the UK and around the world in the English Speaking Board’s (ESB) Christmas Creative Writing competition.
In her piece, Sourat wrote: “I belong to a religion which does not celebrate Christmas, but I personally think that every festival is beautiful and we should respect all festivals from every culture.”
Sourat was shortlisted along with 15 others and, although she didn’t eventually win the overall first prize, was awarded an ESB goodie bag, chocolates and gift voucher for her efforts.
Mark Wynne, of the ESB, said on the organisation’s website: “It is fantastic to see so many people getting involved with our competition. The standard of entries was outstanding and it was very difficult to pick a winner.”
Sourat also recently became a volunteer on the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Entry 1 – Speaking and Listening for Ladies course running on Tuesdays at Green Street.
?Zahir Mohammed, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills at Buckinghamshire County Council, said: “It is inspiring to hear how one of our adult learners has done so well in such a prestigious competition. She should be very proud of what she has achieved.”
For more information on ESOL courses, please phone 01296 398957 (Aylesbury/Chilterns) or 01494 475975 (Wycombe/Sth Buckinghamshire) or visit www.adultlearningbcc.ac.uk