What Difference Did it Make?

Impact of the Adult and Community Learning Fund

The Adult and Community Learning Fund (ACLF) was announced in 1998 and was designed to reach out to new sectors of the community which lay outside the reach of traditional educational organisations.

This document presents research designed to evaluate the ACLF. A key aim of the research was to examine the impact of the ACLF on the organisations involved, the individuals taking part in learning activities, and the communities which the Fund was designed to serve.

The research was commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), working in partnership with the managing agents, the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) and the Basic Skills Agency (BSA). it was carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies with assistance from Employment Research. The study took place between October 2001 and March 2002.