I am very proud and excited to be running the Hackney Half in less than 5 weeks from now on May 19th. Myself and a fabulous team of runners are all raising money for Read Easy UK - they include the lovely Tom, Delia, Angus, Alexi, Niko & Nick and Isobel.

Isobel is my incredible project and business partner, dear friend and daughter of Ginny. Ginny set up Read Easy UK around 10 years ago and she is a truly inspiring and caring lady. After her time working in Dorchester prison in adult literacy, she saw that the literacy problem in the UK was so much bigger than just in prisons and so she set out to address this! Read Easy UK helps adults learn to read by recruiting and training volunteers to give one-to-one tuition to adults who struggle with reading. Before meeting Ginny and hearing about her work I had no idea that the UK has 2.4 million people who cannot read or struggle with basic literacy and the UK is ranked 22nd for literacy out of 24 developed countries (cited in a report by the OECD).

Read Easy UK  now has groups all across the country thanks to their devoted team and the many wonderful volunteers like Milly, Sareena and Alice.

It feels so worthwhile and important to be running for Read Easy UK. Over the years of knowing Ginny and some of her fabulous team, it has been great to hear about more and more people being supported by Read Easy UK and the impact the gift of reading has given to them, how "life-changing"  it has been- a phrase that Read Easy's readers use so much. I heard a quote recently on the Radio by Frederick Douglas that stated ‘reading is a gift almost without limits’. The testimonials and stories I have heard really testify this.

I remember one lady who had learnt to read through Read Easy  reciting how she use to drive along the motorway and not be able to read the road signs and have to remember the exit off by heart, she explained how stressful and scary this was and how she felt she couldn’t share with people that she couldn’t read.  Imagine not being able to read dosages of medicine, being able to fill out forms or be able to read to your grandchildren, read ingredients when you or your child has an allergy, being able to read for pleasure or instruction manuals - the list goes on. People who have learnt to read through Read Easy UK  have often stated how much they grew in confidence as a result, some who previously had felt too nervous to even leave the house.

Do have a look at some more testimonials here https://readeasy.org.uk/testimonials and do visit their website to hear more about their amazing work - https://readeasy.org.uk/ and perhaps you would also like to get involved.

If you would like to donate and help me fundraise for this brilliant cause- It would be hugely appreciated by me, all at Read Easy UK and every one your money could help support to learn to read.

Thank you so much for your kindness and help.

Phoebe

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"Our vision is for all adults in the UK to have the literacy skills they need to realise their potential and live life to the full. Our mission is to provide adults who want to improve their reading with confidential, free, one-to-one coaching to help them gain the skills they need to live life to the full. Read Easy is the only organisation in the country which provides a national, volunteer-led, one-to-one reading coaching programme for adults.Read Easy provides free, confidential, one-to-one reading coaching to adults in the UK who either can't read or who struggle to read. Our volunteer reading coaches are given full training by Read Easy UK and they provide their coaching to readers through our 27 locally-run, affiliated volunteer groups."