Built by someone who saw the system failing.
Stockport Language Centre CIC was founded in February 2026 by a former DWP Universal Credit Work Coach who saw first-hand how much language barriers cost people — not just in navigating benefits, but in confidence, independence, and their ability to feel part of the community around them.
The founding story
Why we exist
Working as a Universal Credit Work Coach, Kenneth sat across the desk from people whose lives were shaped by a language barrier they had no means to cross. Adults who had travelled thousands of miles, built families, found homes — and who were then expected to navigate one of the most complex benefits systems in the world in a language they were still learning.
Work Coaches do everything they can. But they are stretched — managing high caseloads, mountains of admin, and the emotional weight of supporting people through some of the hardest periods of their lives. Finding an ESOL referral that actually has a space, at a time that works, and gets someone in quickly? That is not straightforward. Demand far outstrips what is available.
The waiting lists are months long. Classes run at fixed times that don’t work for parents, carers, or shift workers. Campuses require travel, and the confidence to walk into a room full of strangers. These are not people who are afraid of learning — they are people who want to belong, to contribute, to communicate. The system just isn’t built for them.
Kenneth left DWP in 2026 and founded Stockport Language Centre CIC to build the provision that didn’t exist. Free. Online. Flexible. Built around the real language of life in the UK.
Stockport Language Centre CIC is registered at 45 Middle Hillgate, Stockport SK1 3DG. ICO-registered and operating under the Community Interest Company framework — meaning every pound of income is reinvested into provision.
Our journey
From idea to pilot
Seeing the gap
Working as a Universal Credit Work Coach, Kenneth sat with people every week who wanted to engage — with their commitments, their appointments, their community — but couldn’t, because the English wasn’t there yet. And the provision that could help them was months away, at the wrong time, in the wrong place. What was missing wasn’t just English classes. It was English that mattered — taught around the UC journey, NHS letters, housing forms, and the language of everyday life in the UK.
Building the answer
Kenneth left DWP and founded Stockport Language Centre CIC — not to replicate what already existed, but to build what didn’t. Free. Online. Flexible. Small classes where everybody speaks. English that matters, for use now.
The curriculum is built around the UC journey — from claimant commitment to Work Coach appointment, from DWP letter to UC journal entry. Lessons are developed using the latest AI tools to ensure content is current, relevant, and responsive to real learner needs. All tutors hold Enhanced DBS clearance.
Building it properly
Curriculum, assessment, learner tracking, website — everything is being built before we open the door. Because the people we serve deserve provision that is properly prepared, not improvised.
Building bridges into communities
We are forming partnerships with housing associations, community organisations, and support services across Greater Manchester — because the best way to reach the people who need us is through the organisations who already know them.
Register your interest
We are getting ready to welcome our first learners. Register now and we will be in touch as soon as places are confirmed. Free classes, online, with a teacher who understands exactly what you are navigating.
The team
Who we are
Kenneth
Kenneth brings over 25 years of experience in IT, information security, and compliance — alongside direct frontline knowledge of the DWP system, Universal Credit conditionality, and the barriers ESOL learners face in accessing both provision and benefits. That combination shapes everything about how SLC CIC is built and run.
Sharnjit Phagura
Sharnjit brings over 20 years of experience as an IT Desktop Engineer, with deep expertise in end-user computing, infrastructure support, system deployment, and technology troubleshooting across complex organisational environments. As Co-Director, Sharnjit provides technical oversight, operational governance, and strategic direction — ensuring SLC CIC’s technology infrastructure is robust, secure, and scalable as the organisation grows.
What we believe
Our values
Everybody must speak
In a typical GM ESOL class of 25 or more, each learner might speak for two minutes in an hour. Our maximum of 12 means everyone speaks, every session. That is the whole point.
Free, always
We will never charge a learner. Provision is funded by grants, donations, and the JCP Flexible Support Fund — not fees.
Built for real life
We teach English that matters, for use now. DWP letters, NHS appointments, housing forms, work interviews — language that makes a difference this week, not next year.
Online first
Online delivery is not a compromise — it is a feature. It removes every barrier that classroom provision creates.
Evidence-led
We measure what we do. Every learner is assessed before and after. Every cohort generates data we share openly.
Community-rooted
A Community Interest Company by design. Every pound of income is reinvested in provision for the people who need it.
Safe spaces for all
We plan to introduce female-only sessions by the end of Year 1 — recognising that for many women, cultural, religious, and personal safety considerations make single-gender learning essential, not optional.
Governance
Registered, regulated, and transparent
Community Interest Company
Company No. 17044743 · Registered in England and Wales · February 2026
ICO Registered
ICO No. ZC097595 · UK GDPR compliant · Data Protection Officer: Kenneth Moore
40 Governance Policies
Across 12 compliance domains including safeguarding, data protection, equality, and financial controls.
Registered Address
45 Middle Hillgate, Stockport SK1 3DG
Safeguarding
Adult safeguarding policy in place. Enhanced DBS checks required for all tutors. Safeguarding lead: Kenneth.
Community Interest
CIC asset lock in place. Profits cannot be distributed to directors. All income reinvested in provision.
Want to know more?
Whether you’re a learner, an organisation, or a funder — we’d love to hear from you.
Get in touch →