Claire Collins, Peggy Warren and Sarah Freeman The Conference 2014 edition of the Journal revolves around the themes of Health, Well-being, Partnerships and Workplaces. The event took place at City Hospital, Birmingham and boasts a number of firsts: it was the first time in RaPAL's history that we have held a conference in a hospital setting, and for the first time RaPALers interacted live with literacy colleagues in Australia. We were also treated to a video keynote by Professor Sondra Cuban from West Washington University, USA - another new event for RaPAL. Steph Taylor's “Rapporteur's Report” reveals the essence of the day from the delegates' point of view. Workshop facilitators and keynote speakers have contributed material to read and watch and there is an innovative new space called “Windows to the Conference”.


The first article by Jonathan Berry from the Community Health and Learning Foundation, guides the reader straight to the connection between promoting well-being and partnerships. He draws attention to the need for more joined-up thinking between literacy programme leaders, practitioners and personnel involved in public health programmes.


The theme of situated literacies is drawn on strongly throughout the Journal, focussing attention on the need to weave in curriculum approaches that resonate with the lives and practices of those in learning. Victoria Wright and Rob Smith focus on learners who are “not in education, employment or training” (NEET). They outline first-hand research they have undertaken with student literacy teachers.


Bob Read's presentation from the conference (shown in “Windows to the Conference” section) provides an example of how embedded learning can also support health-care professionals in their training and development.


Central to RaPAL is its wide agenda for inclusiveness in curricula and in literacy policy. We are proud of our history of creating space for students' voices in our publications and conferences. Peggy Warren provides us with a powerful account of how non-traditional students can enhance and make literacies used in higher education settings more accessible. Along with Jenica Richards (a student), Peggy provides us with an illuminating perspective on the “widening participation” agenda. In this, the first of our multimedia articles, the reader can relive aspects of the workshop delivered by Peggy and Jenica, which included poetry, music and a first person narrative.


You can view the second of our Keynote presentations by Professor Linda Lang through our “Window to the Conference”. Professor Lang spoke about the concept of Lifelong Learning in the health sector, focussing on a recent development in a University Technical College (UTC) in the Midlands. Building on the idea of partnerships between health and literacy practitioners, you can watch the illuminating Australian video article from Ros Bauer and Isabel Osuna-Gatty, especially made for the RaPAL event. This describes successful education schemes that embrace health and literacies in outlying, widespread communities and shows that strong partnerships are critical to implementing literacy programmes across Australia. Their literacy projects and training programmes, underpinned by a combination of social practice and skills-based approaches, not only develop people's personal and workplace literacies, but also enhance their general well-being.


The NHS and wider health contexts (work places) have historically been sites of educational disparities and injustices, particularly for migrant groups. Sondra Cuban's visual presentation and the review of her book by Peggy Warren, highlight some of the literacy challenges adult learners navigate whilst undertaking work- based and other forms of learning.


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