A NEW group aiming to help adults learn to read has been launched in Southampton.

Read Easy Southampton, an affiliated part of Read Easy UK, a national charity that helps adults learn to read, has launched in the city in a bid to help improve lives of some adults in the city.

An estimated 2.4 million adults in the UK have problems with reading and the impact on their life is tremendous: low self-esteem, problems with employment and struggling with everyday activities such as shopping, paying bills and travelling.

The Southampton group formed in June 2021 and a team of volunteers has been busy fundraising, recruiting and training coaches, and most importantly finding readers to support.

It is estimated that more than 5,000 have major problems reading.

A launch event is being hosted in the Mayor’s Parlour at Southampton Civic Centre on Monday, January 24.

A reader is paired with their own personal coach and they meet twice a week in an approved safe space. There are no timescales or pressure attached and the work is confidential.

On completing the programme readers are given a certificate to celebrate their achievement.

Those wishing to learn to read can refer themselves to us by contacting Allison southamptoncoordinator@readeasy.org.uk.