Read Easy Medway

Read Easy Medway

At a glance

Causes

  • Education

Other details

Organisation type: 
Charity
Geographical remit: 
National - Britain

Objectives

Our goal is for all adults in the UK to have the literacy skills they need to fulfil their potential and live life to the full.  

To transform the lives of adults who struggle with reading, we harness the initiative, energy, skills and experience of dedicated volunteers. 

There are 2.4 million adults in England alone – over 5% of the working age population – who can barely read or cannot read at all. Our trained volunteer Reading Coaches provide free, confidential, one-to-one coaching to adults who want to learn to read. 

Established in 2011, we are growing sustainably in communities across England before expanding into the rest of the UK in the coming years. Our priority is to establish new groups in larger conurbations where there is evidence of high numbers of adults with low literacy. 

There are around 80 Read Easy groups in England with 1,400 volunteers leading the groups and delivering reading coaching.

When someone contacts or is referred to Read Easy, they are choosing to learn the skill they need to change their life. We seek to understand Readers’ present abilities and seek to release that potential by giving them another go at learning to read through an accessible, community-based approach. Improving their reading skills has a hugely positive impact on the individual, their loved ones, their community and society as a whole. 

Read Easy UK, which is based in Gloucestershire, is registered as a Community Interest Organisation with the Charity Commission. We are the umbrella body which supports volunteers to set up Read Easy groups in their communities. 

Activities

Read Easy will help any adult who either can’t read or who lacks confidence with reading, for whatever reason. 

Read Easy UK is the only national organisation in the country which provides a volunteer-led reading coaching programme for adults. 

 

The support we provide is: 

  • Free – our Reading Coaches and Management Teams volunteer their time, and resources and training are funded by kind donations  
  • Confidential – only a few people in each group know the identity of our Readers, and all coaching takes place in a private space within a public place so that people feel encouraged to come forward and ask for help  
  • One-to-one – many Readers have had a poor experience in a school classroom or group setting, so our personal approach allows Readers to develop a supportive and trusting bond with their dedicated Coach.

Each Read Easy group is set up and managed by affiliated groups of local volunteers with the support of Read Easy UK. Each group is legally and financially independent (and responsible for their own local fundraising), while required to work within Read Easy’s robust structure, policies and procedures. Read Easy UK provides oversight, resources, training and advice to help volunteers establish effective and sustainable Read Easy groups in their area. Our support for groups means they can replicate a successful tried-and-tested model in their community and deliver a high-quality reading coaching service. 

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