A CHARITY that helps adults learn to read is looking for volunteers.

Read Easy Basingstoke is looking for volunteers to take up positions as either reading coaches or co-ordinators.

The group is part of Read Easy UK, a national charity founded in 2010 which provides free, confidential one-to-one reading coaching for adults from trained volunteers, through locally-run, affiliated volunteer groups.

According to the charity, at least 7,000 people in Basingstoke struggle with reading.

Formed in 2019, the group initially found it difficult to raise awareness of its existence.

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Read Easy Basingstoke deputy chairperson Lindy O’Callaghan said: “In the beginning it was a real struggle to get people to come, to get readers, to find them.

“We had all these coaches, but nobody to coach”.

However, that has changed; knowledge about the group has spread through both word of mouth, as well as referrals from jobseekers.

The group also saw an increase in readers after Read Easy UK was featured on the BBC documentary “Jay Blades: Learning to Read at 51”, which featured TV presenter Jay Blades using the service to learn to read.

Read Easy Basingstoke currently has 26 pairs of coaches and readers, but the group is always looking for more volunteers, as new readers are coming forward regularly.

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The charity is currently looking for new reading coaches, as well as people who could take on the role of a co-ordinator; this position involves assessing new readers and matching them with a coach, as well as monitoring their overall progress.

Lindy said: “We like to have a few trained coaches ready, because if somebody comes forwards and says ‘I can’t read’, you want them to start straight away.

“It’s a lovely charity to be involved in, because you can see the end result, and what a difference it makes to people, learning to read.

“It’s just heart-warming to see people’s lives improve and their confidence growing once they start to be able to read.”

More information about Read Easy Basingstoke can be found on its website https://readeasy.org.uk/groups/basingstoke/.

The group can also be contacted via email Basingstoke@readeasy.co.uk or phone 07592 450789.

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