Sheffield Association for the Voluntary Teaching of English

SAVTE recruits and trains volunteers to teach English to the most excluded and isolated people in Sheffield. Our aim is to reduce isolation by providing people with life changing language skills so that they can engage with everyday life in new ways, progress to further training, education and employment and integrate into their local and mainstream communities.

SAVTE has provided this service since 1974 and has developed extensive knowledge and expertise in this field. Our continued existence reflects an ongoing need for the service.

Our aims and key activities

Through providing the opportunity to learn English, SAVTE aims to:

• Reduce the isolation of the most excluded members of our community
• Encourage their participation in local activities and to progress to further training and/or employment
• Support and facilitate their engagement

We realise these aims through the following activities:

• Recruiting and supporting volunteers to teach and mentor learners
• Equipping adults with language skills for everyday life in one-to-one settings, local learning groups and conversational English
• Working in collaboration and partnership with community groups and other organisations, statutory and voluntary, which share SAVTE’s overall aims
• Ensuring the highest possible standards through continual monitoring and evaluation.