Jon Butler, our Communigate Advisor, this week spoke to a site owner benefiting from the Evening Press's free website service.

In March of 1998, the New Earswick and Huntington Branch of the Workers' Educational Association was formed by a small group of local resident volunteers.

It meets every month at the Folk Hall in New Earswick, and runs everything from computer courses to Scottish country dancing lessons.

"Our objective is to give people the opportunity to learn new life skills," Jo Eltham secretary of the WEA told Communigate.

"Our courses may seem a little diverse to some people yet we are able to attract people from all over the York area and beyond who like to learn something a little different.

"We try to balance the educational accredited courses with those that provide life skills, without the worry of sitting exams."

The courses that Jo has helped run have been so successful that, on occasions, they have been over-subscribed but they have coped by organising extra lessons. Aromatherapy, assertiveness, Spanish and creative writing have all featured on the WEA curriculum.

To help with its expansion plans Jo took out a free Communigate site, and is quick to acknowledge how the flexibility and freedom that Communigate offers has helped.

"Communigate is so easy to use and its all done for you. It has made us available not only to people who have the internet at home, but also to people who don't have a computer, who have come into the Evening Press office and used their computer that has internet access, and is all free of charge."

The Earswick and Huntington branch of the WEA won the Adult Learners' Award from Hull University in 1998 and since then has taken many initiatives towards providing people with a new lease of life. Opportunities await you at www.communigate.co.uk/york/ workerseducationalassociation

Also in New Earswick, new site, new music...

The Earswick Ensemble is an amateur string group that plays a wide variety of easy string music and is the latest group to tune into Communigate with their own site.

It shares its time between easy orchestral and quartet playing.

To find out more go to www.communigate.co.uk/york/

Anyone for a school reunion?

With the launch last week of Communigate in Ryedale came news of a school reunion.

A soldier serving abroad in the British Army has taken out a site to trace his old school friends.

Simon Cozier came across Communigate while surfing through thisisyork.co.uk while stationed in Germany, and is keen to trace anyone who used to attend Malton Grammar school.

You can contact Simon at www.communigate.co.uk/ryedale/

This sounds like a great idea. If anyone else is interested in creating a site for this purpose please e-mail jon.butler@ycp.co.uk