Wellingborough reading skills charity offering charities free community showcase

Ready Easy Wellingborough successfully applied for lottery funding to hold a community fair highlighting charities and volunteer-run organisations in Wellingborough, Rushden and the

surrounding areas.

Sandra Lewis from Read Easy, Wellingborough said: "The community fair is for people who would like a stall to highlight their charity or service.

"It's completely free to have a stall and it will allow the public see the voluntary organisations that are working in the area.

"We want to highlight all the charities and volunteer services in a one-stop shop."

Read Easy, Wellingborough was formed in March 2018, part of the countrywide Read Easy UK, to adults with reading in two half-hour sessions a week on a one-to-one basis.

A 'coach', a reading teacher, is paired with a 'reader', an adult who struggles with reading, and using teaching materials provided by the charity they meet up at a time they choose.

Sandra said: "Read Easy is a free on-to-one, confidential, learning opportunity. It can have an immense impact. We work with anyone over the age of 18 who is struggling with reading.

"Our coaches find the commitment fits in well with their lives and find the work rewarding as well as enjoying meeting the other coaches and team members.

"Our readers find the flexibility and one to one tuition are a welcome fresh approach to learning to read."

Read Easy Wellingborough have recently trained their second batch of coaches one of whom was call centre administrator Liz Ives.

Coach Liz has been paired with a 25-year-old reader who has 'very limited reading'.

Liz said: "I've been working with her for the last two months and it has been a real eye opener.

"We meet twice a week for half an hour in the library and it's been a gradual progression.

"Sometimes I leave her a little bit of homework and she practises at home. When I see her the next time and she can read the work it's quite motivating."

Volunteering as a coach was the direct result of Liz, 58, leaving her reading glasses at home.

She said: "One day I'd forgotten my glasses and although I could see, I couldn't see enough to read. I was relying on other people to read for me.

"It spurred me on to become a coach for adult readers. Reading is such a valuable skill. Without reading you can't get qualifications. You can't read signs.

"I would encourage anyone who has got the time and patience to give it a go.

"Volunteering is empowering and motivating, it's an invaluable experience and it has also helped me to rediscover my love of books."

Contact [email protected] to book a table at the community fair taking place in the Tithe Barn, Wellingborough from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, April 25, 2020.

For more information about Read Easy Wellingborough go to the group's Facebook page or go to the Read Easy UK website.