“Life-changing” experience – Terri-Jane (TJ)

TJ White has shared her “life-changing” learning experience in a bid to help others living in a world where numbers and words are largely meaningless.

With the help of the The Learning Link, TJ has shown that age should never be a barrier to learning.

“In 2018, at the age of 45 I made a very anxious phone call to The Learning Link. I spoke to Chrissie and she arranged to meet me - from that first meeting my life really started.”

TJ was academically assessed and matched with a tutor, the late Jack Drever. They worked together tirelessly taking her learning to a new level.

They would study maths on the weekend – for fun! And thanks to the support provided she achieved SQA levels 3 and 4 in Numeracy.

“My numeracy was so poor that I didn’t know how the tens, hundreds and thousands would line up. Jack established this and took me right back to the basics.

“My world is beyond compare thanks to Jack and The Learning Link. Please, no matter your age or ability, if you want to learn the basics or something a little more advanced, give the team at The Learning Link a call – you will not regret it.

“I think the Multiply initiative could open the doors to learning for so many – whether you want to learn a little or a lot. You will never be made to feel inadequate and if you put in the work, the rewards are massive.”

TJ and The Learning Link paid tribute to Jack, who dedicated over 15 years to the adult learning service as a volunteer and helped countless individuals before his recent sad passing.  He will be sorely missed by so many, and he is unquestionably irreplaceable.  Without selfless and amazing people like Jack, we could not have achieved as much as we have over the years.

Following their refurbishment, the Orkney Library & Archive is hosting an open day on Wednesday 17 May coinciding with National Numeracy Day and providing a golden opportunity for the library to work with The Learning Link to launch Multiply, a new programme aimed at transforming the lives of adults by improving numeracy skills.