Meet Ian Brown

Ian has completed numerous courses over the last year with 3D Training delivered at The Brink Liverpool. The Brink is the UK’s first ever ‘dry bar’ and is a safe space for those in recovery. The award winning recovery hub offers help and support and provides opportunities for individuals to work and volunteer.

Growing up Ian experienced many challenges and struggles, including addiction. Ian is now substance misuse free due to the help and support of the services and counselling sessions provided by the Brink. Ian wanted to start learning again but didn’t want to feel overwhelmed, which is why level 2 courses felt like the perfect starting point. “Even though the qualifications are not as high level as college or university, they have given me confidence and have made me flourish back into education, I feel more than capable now”

Ian also lacked self-confidence, he has had many opportunities in his life where he was able to go to college or apply for university, but often backed out as he was too scared he wasn’t going to be able to manage, it had also been a long period of time since he had been in an educational environment. “I believed I was a failure, and I was stupid.”However, Ian believes the courses with 3D have been very enriching and mentally stimulating. “The tutor always involves everyone, and I love the group discussions and sharing experiences with others. I like that the group is all adult learners, as it takes away the stigma of being an adult learner, people often don’t have positive experiences of conventional education, and this can sometimes be deterrence to learning as an adult”

“The courses have given me more confidence, for the first time in a very long time, I actually believe I could go into further education and gain the qualifications I need to become a skilled counsellor”

Ian in particular loved participating in the counselling level 2 course, he has always wanted to study the subject. It gave him a different perspective, as in the past Ian has had firsthand experience in accessing counselling services and being in challenging situations. It also has encouraged Ian to reflect on his own self, “I have gone away from the course and had one of those lightbulb moments, which has been really rewarding”

Ian believes the courses have helped him learn how to research, process, and retain information. “I have been given the opportunity to do more than the qualification.” Ian recently planned and coordinated a session to his fellow peers. “This was great for me, I feel that each person’s needs on the course have been taken into account, my tutor believed that I was capable of doing more and this helped challenge myself”.

Looking forward to the future, Ian would like to focus on completing his level 3 counselling course, his long term goal is to apply to university and qualify to be a junior counsellor.

“Ian has come so far and faced so many barriers in his personal life to get to where he is today” Adult Education Tutor, Shelly Gill

“100%, I have had the best experience working with my tutor, I look forward to doing more. I feel like I have been bitten by the education bug, I love it. It gives me something to look forward too and I love the community environment in the classroom, I have made great connections”

“The courses are very inclusive, they are taught in a way that encourages each individual, it doesn’t matter what your own learning level is or what barriers to education you may have, I feel this is rare, as so many people can go into an educational environment and acknowledge to the university or college prior to starting that you have a specific learning difficulty or requirement, you’re not necessary always going to get the level of support you need. I think that this is impressive part of the training sessions”

Ian Brown