'Nothing to lose and everything to gain': Neighbourhood Houses and later life learners

This paper focusses on later life learning in Neighbourhood Houses in Victoria, Australia, amidst a backdrop of Neoliberal education policies impacting on Adult Community Education (ACE) in Australia. This empirical research was conducted in the state of Victoria and charts the learning of older leaners (referred to in this paper as later life learners) who have come to the houses for a variety of reasons but primarily to learn new knowledge, to socialise and stay active in later life. Founded in the 1960s and 1970s, Neighbourhood Houses have provided both formal and informal learning experiences for adults returning to study. The research uses case study methodology to explore the learning experiences of later life learners returning to study. It outlines the benefits to participants in terms of their health and well-being, knowledge and skill development through formal, informal and incidental learning in the houses. We apply the lens of Bourdieu to present the distinctive practices within Neighbourhood Houses that create a habitus conducive to adult and lifelong learning. We argue Neighbourhood Houses provide education experiences for later life learners that contribute to social inclusion, building community and decreasing social isolation.