Read Easy charity appeals for volunteers amid adult literacy demand
The adult literacy charity Read Easy reports high demand as one in six adults struggle to read, and is appealing for more volunteers.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The adult literacy charity Read Easy is facing a surge in demand as one in six adults in England struggle with reading, and is urgently appealing for more volunteers. The charity, which runs sessions in Birmingham and across the West Midlands, has a waiting list of people wanting to join its free reading lessons. The region has the second worst literacy rates in the country, meaning many adults have difficulty with everyday tasks such as reading road signs, letters, and simple emails.
Shane, 27, is one of the learners who did not get the help he needed at school. He now attends weekly reading lessons at a local library. He said he still gets muddled up with certain words and finds it embarrassing to ask for help. But with the charity's support, his confidence has grown. He can now read big books, is working through a cookbook at home, and has started writing his own stories.
Course leader Rosalyn, who contacted the BBC about the issue, described the scale of the problem as 'very, very sad and very shocking'. She said the charity is opening up a world that was previously shut to these adults, and that their lives are changing as their confidence builds. Read Easy is now calling for more volunteers to help meet the demand and reduce the waiting list.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| One in six adults in England struggle with reading. | |
| Read Easy has a waiting list of people wanting to join its sessions. | |
| The West Midlands has the second worst literacy rates in the country. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focuses on the human story of a learner, Shane, and the emotional impact of illiteracy. It highlights the regional disparity (West Midlands second worst) and the charity's direct appeal for volunteers. The tone is sympathetic and community-focused, using the learner's own words to illustrate the problem.
- “I get muddled up with certain words. I still do. I still get confused over certain words but it's a learning progress so I'm more than happy to do so.”
- “It is very, very sad and very shocking really that there are so many people. We're talking about one in six adults who struggle to read.”
- “You can feel that their confidence is building and their life is changing because we're opening up a world to these people that were shut to them previously.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.