I visited the Norfolk launch of Read Easy, a charity that helps adults in the UK learn to read, with the goal for all adults in the UK to have the reading skills they need to fulfil their potential.

Today, there are 2.4 million adults in England who can barely read or cannot read at all. In Norfolk alone, 71,000 people cannot read or write to a level that would help them live their lives.

Read Easy is brilliant because it helps people overcome the stigma attached to not being able to read or write. At the launch, I heard fascinating stories from people who have accomplished amazing things hiding the fact that they struggle with literacy.

If you struggle, it doesn’t mean you’re any less intelligent, I heard from many people who have a form of dyslexia, and were left behind in school as their struggles were seen as behavioural issues and therefore weren’t given the opportunities to reach their potential.

Many people in the criminal justice system end up there because they struggled with reading and writing, this tells you so much about how struggling with literacy can impact life chances.

Read Easy is a fantastic charity, I was pleased to be there and they have my full support.

Read more about their work here.