Aspiration Awards 2024: Against All Odds highly commended – Joanne Smith, Oldham Council’s Lifelong Learning Service 

Designed to recognise learners who have overcome difficult personal circumstances to succeed in their studies, the Against All Odds award is very special and always attracts a huge volume of nominations. Highly commended in this year’s award, is Joanne (Jo) Smith, who is studying the Level 1 Award in Working with Children with Oldham Council’s Lifelong Learning Service. 

Finding strength and opportunity 

Jo, a 59-year-old single parent, faced immense hardship throughout her adult life. After her sister passed away from cancer, Jo bravely took on the responsibility of raising her sister’s two children alongside her own son.  

Juggling work as a part-time carer and singlehandedly managing the needs of a young family, one child with ADHD, and two children grieving the heartbreaking loss of their mum, made life for Jo both challenging and emotional. 

Despite the hardships, Jo found strength and motivated herself to search for new opportunities. To meet the financial needs of her new family, Jo secured full-time employment with the Post Office, where she spent 22 years delivering post to the residents of Salford.  

However, in 2023, osteoarthritis forced her into early retirement. Undeterred, and with all her children having ‘flown the nest’, Jo decided to pursue a lifelong dream – working with children.  

She said: “From a very young age my dream was to work with children and help to make a difference to their lives. However, life took me down a different path but, after 22 years delivering post and having been medically retired due to osteoarthritis, I decided to pursue my lifelong ambition.” 

Embracing education  

Jo searched online and discovered the Level 1 Award in Working with Children through Oldham Council's Lifelong Learning Service. Determined to succeed, Jo tackled the challenges she faced head-on. Sitting in class was painful due to her arthritis, requiring frequent breaks to walk.  

Writing notes and assessments proved slow and difficult, but Jo remained dedicated, always completing her work on time. Even fatigue caused by her condition couldn't deter her focus and active participation in class. 

Julie Miller, Community Link Tutor at Oldham Council, said: "From the start, Jo embraced her learning experience; a very conscientious learner, a person who always goes above and beyond what is expected. Throughout the course, Jo brought a cheery smile, enthusiasm and a can-do attitude which inspired and supported others in their own journeys. Jo absolutely deserves this award.” 

Jo added: “The course exceeded my expectations. The tutor made learning fun, she was supportive and explained things so that we could all understand. I’ve enjoyed working with a group of learners from different cultures and backgrounds. 

“The best thing for me is how much confidence I have gained through attending this course. I now believe in myself more and I now realise that I can actually do this. I’m so glad that I started my learning journey with Oldham Lifelong Learning.” 

Building relationships 

In a class where most learners had English as a second language, Jo embraced the diversity and has built strong relationships with her classmates. Despite some language barriers, Jo provided support with coursework whilst sharing relevant life experiences. 

Through the skills and knowledge gained from her studies, Jo developed the confidence to apply for a voluntary role with Home Start, a charity supporting families.  

She was successful for the role and commented: “Since starting this course, I’ve secured voluntary work with a charity called Home Start. In September, I’m going to complete my GCSE English qualification and I’m also exploring various courses that will be the next step for achieving my goal of either working in a primary or nursery school.” 

Jo concluded: “I’m absolutely overwhelmed at being recognised for this wonderful award and actually win; it is a dream come true. I've had the most wonderful time doing my course with Oldham Lifelong Learning with my amazing tutor, Julie. She helped me to build my confidence to the point that I now believe in myself. Thank you, Julie, from the bottom of my heart. 

“I’d like to dedicate this award to my late sister (a special needs teacher herself), as she would be so proud of her baby sister right now. Thank you so very much, I will take this with me on my new journey in life and treasure it forever.” 

Jo's story is a testament to the power of determination and a positive outlook in the face of adversity. She is an inspiring example of how learning and achieving your goals are possible at any age. 

Congratulations Jo! To read more inspirational stories from this year's award winners, visit our Aspiration Awards 2024 page.