Read Easy UK

Who we are

Did you know that more than 7% of the working age population of England can barely read at all?

In practical terms, this means that people struggle even to do their food shopping, use cash points, read bus timetables or understand health warnings. Going to the doctor, talking to teachers, filling in forms or engaging with the benefits system can all be overwhelmingly challenging. Finding work - particularly rewarding work - can also be very difficult. Although people often develop coping strategies, many adults with low literacy experience high levels of anxiety in situations where they may be asked to read. As a result, they often avoid going out, leading to loneliness, low self-esteem and potentially poor mental health, with a likely knock-on effect of dependency on a range of public services. 

Read Easy helps adults learn to read by providing them with free, confidential, one-to-one reading coaching from trained volunteers. This can help our readers to grow in confidence and self-esteem, access other learning and qualifications, improve their employment opportunities, and take a fuller and more effective part in family and home life, their local communities and wider society. 

Read Easy UK is the umbrella charity that enables local volunteers to set up and run affiliated groups to provide coaching in their own communities, using our well-structured and highly-replicable model. 

Read Easy’s vision is for all adults in the UK to have the literacy skills they need to realise their potential and live life to the full.  Our mission is to harness the initiative, energy, skills and experience of volunteers, and equip them to provide confidential, one-to-one reading coaching for adults in their communities who want to improve their reading.