Can you read this? Over 7% of adults in Blackpool can’t – volunteers needed to help change that!

Volunteer and reader working together

We’re so used to reading road signs, books, newspapers, birthday cards, emails, labels in supermarkets, that most of us never give it a second thought. But…what if you couldn’t make out any of the hundreds of messages that surround us every day? This is the reality for over 7% of adults who didn’t learn to read at school, who struggle with everyday tasks*.

Read Easy are looking to change that for people in Blackpool, Poulton Le Fylde and St Anne’s by setting up a brand new group to help adults learn to read. They are currently looking for a range of volunteers who want to make a difference by helping to establish and run the group, or to coach people one to one. Volunteering with Read Easy makes a huge difference for learners but is also a fantastic opportunity for people who help! Whether you are looking for a real sense of satisfaction or would like to use your existing skills or develop new ones, we would love to hear from you.

In the meantime, you can find out more by visiting www.readeasy.org.uk or can contact Vicky on 07931 138350 or [email protected]

* A Skills for Life survey of 16-65 year olds in 2011 found that 5% of adults in England could only recognise a few common words, and a further 2.1% were barely able to read simple health and safety notices at work…and by the way, the text is Japanese for ‘yes we can read’.