Enthusiastic learners acting as community learning champions (CLCs) are scarcely a novelty. There has been a surge of interest in what they have to offer in the last couple of years, thanks in large part to a government programme, which has funded training and support for learning champions through 50 community projects across the country, and a welcome increase in the range of people volunteering to take part. CLCs are volunteers who become active in their community promoting the value of learning to others. Their enthusiasm for learning reflects the difference it has made to their lives. Because they have local credibility, CLCs are able to promote the value of learning to friends, relatives, neighbours and workmates. CLCs are very effective at reaching out to the so-called hard-to-reach, those groups that professionals typically have difficulty engaging. So it is vital that CLCs are drawn from the whole spectrum of learners. This article illustrates how a national scheme to train and support CLCs demonstrates and builds communities' capacity for positive change.