How One Brave Man Turned A Page :: Learned To Read At 41 via Devon Live

How one brave man turned a page in his life and learned to read at 41

''Life is too short to give up, you're never too old to learn.''

Devon Live: 8.18.2019 by Charlotte Vowles

Imagine not being able to read a road sign, not being able to understand cooking instructions, or the warning on your box of paracetamol.

For around 2.4 million adults in the UK who struggle to read, or can't read at all, these problems are a reality.

Read Easy Exeter was set up in February 2018 to help tackle this issue. The group is run by community-based volunteers and helps adults who are completely new to reading and those wanting to improve their skills.

41 year old Jason, is one of Read Easy Exeter's success stories. He lives in Exeter and joined the group after a suggestion from his mother-in-law.

After taking the brave and life-changing decision to get in touch with Read Easy Exeter, Jason has never looked back.

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Paul Fisher is the Team Leader at Read Easy Exeter. He said: ''We take for granted how literacy allows us to participate in ordinary life. Over two years, people can get to a good basic standard of reading, which will enable them to participate.''

All the readers have coaching twice a week for half an hour at a time. Sessions take place on a 1:1 basis in a public, but quiet space, such as a library, café or pub.

Paul said the readers are carefully matched with their coaches to ensure that it's a totally comfortable process. He said: ''The course is so brilliant and done so well. It's all about a 1:1 relationship.''

The readers follow a reading programme called Turning Pages, which has been specially designed by The Shannon Trust, a national charity that works with prisoners.  READ MORE >>