Background Language has been described as a form of ‘human capital’ and without this capital, the life of a new migrant or refugee is greatly impoverished. More than a million migrants entered Europe in 2015, according to the International Organisation for Migration. Someone who does not speak the host language misses out – on employment (people with poor language skills are 20% less likely to find employment), training and education and a social and cultural life outside the boundaries of the migrant’s immediate community. Objectives and target group:WELCOME will develop and pilot language ‘clubs’ (led by volunteers supported by paid professional Club Leaders) to support informal language learning clubs of up to 12 learners in community-based host organisations for 2-3 hours per week over a period of 12-15 weeks. The community host organisations will also be responsible for engagement for one of the hardest-to-reach groups at most risk of social exclusion. The project is based on a successful pilot carried out by a group of London Local Education Authorities in 2012/3 and was inspired by the US Brooklyn Library model http://www.bklynpubliclibrary.org/only-bpl/literacy/english-classes. It is scalable, replicable and based in the heart of local communities.WELCOME targets those people who have only basic or no skills at all in their host country language who need to improve their host language to acquire information, services, employability and digital skills and, to integrate with the wider community. Some of these may be refugees traumatised through conflict and dangerous journeys to Europe, some recently arrived economic migrants unable to access the information and services they need and others may have lived in their host country for many years but only have a poor command of the language – for example, many older women do not leave their community. WELCOME’S objectives are to:* research and compare findings in partner countries and contribute to the research on migrants, refugees and language acquisition* Understand needs of migrant and refugee learner in this context and identify examples of good practice *Create Community based Host’ organisations providing venues for WELCoME Clubs and engaging learners through assertive outreach*Establish and pilot WELCoME Clubs for learners to meet each week to practice host language skills through focussing on a range of everyday topics that are relevant to their lives and achiebveing competence in them will greatly enhance their lives: for example, communicating with a doctor, asking for information, going shopping *Create a training programme for volunteer Club Leaders: coach and facilitate at the clubs with support from professional teachers and coaches *Create the WELCoME Toolkit and online resource centre (with materials for volunteer Club Leaders and professional support staff)*Develop a WELCoME network and website: linking the clubs into a network across Europe* Disseminate high quality open educational resources – interactive resource pool, downloadable support materials and video.* Create a space in the project’s resource cenre for participants to share information and ideas with other WELCOME clubs across the EU* prepare a Lessons Learned report ‘green paper’ with suggestions for future policyTarget group and needs:Migrants who experience exclusion through poor host country language skills and overt and covert discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere. The project will work with 200 migrants, 20 volunteer language club leaders and 10 professional educators across partner countries and create in-service training courses for educators that will run beyond the lifetime of the project. Description of activities and methodologyWELCOME will create a network of Language Learning Clubs based in community organisations supported by a high quality online resource pool containing a Toolkit with self contained guidance on establishing a language club for people with poor host language skills, including training materials and video for trainers, coaching materials for volunteer club leaders and learning materials for migrant learners. This is supported by a joint staff workshop and in-service training. We will disseminate the materials widely the partners’ networks which include networks from over 500 EU projects. Results and impactsWELCoME will contribute to:* research on the needs of migrants and asylum seekers with poor or no host Qualitative achievement measures - language learners and volunteers: * learners’ improved language proficiency* the increase in social capital: (learners and volunteers): learners and volunteers progressing to further language training, other learning, volunteering, progression in job, self employment and work. For volunteers – numbers achieving qualifications work experience placements and jobs.* social cohesion and integration evidenced by learners who report increased contacts with the world