The Changing Landscape of ESOL in the East Midlands – MESH conference 12th Feb 2026
Join ESOL providers and stakeholders from across the East Midlands to network and explore changes to the ESOL landscape in the region.
Register for the conference HERE.
Join Migrant English Support Hub(MESH) and East Midlands Councils (EMC) for our first East Midlands Regional ESOL Networking Event! It’s a fantastic chance to connect with fellow ESOL professionals, share ideas, and gain a wider understanding of the rapidly changing ESOL landscape and funding opportunities across the region.
As well as the opportunity to meet and collaborate with other ESOL tutors and providers, you will get a first-hand perspective on plans to support ESOL through devolved Combined Authorities. We will also be discussing and sharing perspectives on the changing legal and political landscape related to immigration, and how this impacts on ESOL. You will also get a chance to hear about community ESOL projects across the region currently running with EMC support.
Finally, MESH will be launching Learning English in the East Midlands (LEEM), their interactive, searchable database of ESOL provision in the East Midlands. There will be an opportunity to see how the website works, and how to list your ESOL provision to make it easy for new arrivals in the area to find.
This event includes lunch. Vegetarians will be catered for. Please let us know if you have any specific dietary needs by mailing us at emesol@yhmesh.org.uk.
After Lunch, you will have the opportunity to meet one-to-one with a member of the MESH team to amend your entry on LEEM. If you are unable to attend this part of the session, we can always arrange a separate meeting with you.
See you there!
This event will include some small group work in relation to issues discussed. To facilitate this and networking in the region, we encourage colleagues to attend in person. If however you are not able to attend in person, there will also be an option to join us online. Please email us at emesol@yhmesh.org.uk if you would like to join online.
Please feel free to attend some of the event only if you have other commitments. We know that ESOL professionals are busy people!
AGENDA
10.00: Regional Coordination of ESOL project. An update from the MESH team
10.10: East Midlands Councils’ vision for ESOL coordination in the East Midlands: Noel Oxford, East Midlands Councils Resettlement Policy Officer.
10.20: Showcasing current voluntary sector initiatives funded through EMC
10.30: Mayoral Combined Authorities and the development of support for ESOL in the East Midlands: Pippa Proctor, East Midlands Combined County Authority
11.00 BREAK
11.15: Political and legal developments around immigration and Implications for ESOL: a roundtable discussion. Our panellists include: Diana Sutton, Director of the Bell Foundation, Paul Sceeny, co-Chair of NATECLA, and Noel Oxford, East Midlands Councils Resettlement Policy Officer.
11.45: Introducing Learning English in the East Midlands (LEEM)
12.30 Lunch
1.00 – 2.00: LEEM surgery
Register for the conference HERE.
