Second Anniversary

LITERACY charity Read Easy celebrated its second anniversary on Wednesday 29 May in the south and east Wilshire area.

Members of the group gathered at the Pheasant pub in Salisbury to mark the occasion just a few weeks after its first graduate Gary Green completed all five of the Turning Pages manuals, which are published by Shannon Trust – another literacy charity.

Team leader Julia West said: “So, happy birthday to all of us on our second birthday and hopefully we’ll go on from strength-to-strength with all your help. Thank you all for being a part of it – and on to the next year.”

She also thanked Literacy Specialist Michele Williams and Referrals Networker Moira Packer for all their hard work as they step down from their roles.

Gary Green, aged 52, lives in Devizes Road, Salisbury, and is a machine operator with Argus Fluidhandling Limited Ltd on Churchfield Industrial Estate.

He said: “When I was at school, I was at the back of the class, I didn’t want to learn, I wanted to muck about.”

But in 2022, with the help of a colleague, he got in touch with Read Easy and was teamed up with his Coach Sara Crook.

At that point he could barely read but now, after 19 months of hard work, he reads magazines and newspapers as well as books and he is reading Winnie the Pooh with his niece.

Read Easy is a volunteer-led organisation and the local group is affiliated to the national charity Read Easy. It provides free, confidential one-to-one reading coaching for adults.

The group now has 15 Readers on its books. It is thought 11,000 people in its area may need help with their reading.

If you know someone who has difficulty reading, would like to volunteer with the group or to find out more please get in touch:

For more information:

Posted by: Dickie Bellringer
South and East Wiltshire Read Easy
Updated: 30 May, 2024