The 2011 Skills for Life survey of the working age population found that on the Adult Literacy Core Curriculum in Ealing more than 6% or 13,600 adults seriously struggle with reading. Most people who have difficulties with reading are too embarrassed to admit their difficulties and very few feel able to join an adult education class due to previous experiences of failure at school. Read Easy Ealing will offer a much more accessible, community-based and individualised approach to helping adults learn to read. Read Easy works by matching trained volunteer local reading coaches one-to-one with non or beginner Readers. They meet twice a week for 30 minutes in a public but private space and work through a phonics-based reading programme, “Turning Pages”, specifically designed for adults, it's suitable for people who have learning difficulties and disabilities, people for whom English is a second language and people who just didn’t learn to read at School.

What we'll deliver:

• 12 Ealing Based Residents who can read to to Entry Level 3 standard: a proficient and measurable standard of reading.

Why it's a great idea:

The difference Read Easy makes is genuinely "life-changing", as illustrated by the testimonials on the Read Easy Website, readeasy.org.uk. It helps readers with • Getting jobs or a promotion • Attending other training courses, including those developing digital skills • Having the confidence and skills to pursue other educational opportunities and to participate in local communities • Campaigning with confidence for change in their local communities • Becoming independent shoppers – of medicines, food and clothing – life’s essentials • Voting in general and local elections for the first time • Reading books and newspapers and accessing the internet • Completing online forms • Having the confidence to go to the doctors or opticians for a check up • Increased confidence and self-esteem, and improved mental health • Supporting children and grandchildren with reading and homework

Steps to get it done:

• 12 Volunteer Coaches Recruited
• Coaches trained in how to use reading programme
• 12 coaches matched with readers
• Reading pairs commenced
• Readers on route to Entry Level 3 standard: a proficient and measurable standard of reading.

Our project is routed in the local community; Our readers: as well as personal referrals from readers or relatives/friends of readers we work with local agencies, such as the library service, adult education, the Ealing Community School of English who refer readers to us. Our Reading Coaches are local volunteers willing to commit to an open ended reading partnership; typical reading journeys last between 9 to 18 months. Our management committee is comprised of local people keen to make a difference to the residents of the London Borough of Ealing Our venues: we will work with the library service, local businesses and other community-based organisations to identify suitable rooms that we can use at no cost, which are private, but in a public space where readers and coaches can meet.