BNU £5k donation helps reading charity backed by Jay Blades
Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) has provided a significant financial boost of £5,000 to Read Easy Chilterns, a new charity which helps local adults learn to read. All reading coaches give their time for free but the charity has to fundraise to cover the costs of all learning materials. BNU’s donation means that the charity can purchase learning resource packs for the charity’s first 100 readers.
Read Easy Chilterns is part of Read Easy UK, a national charity founded in 2010 which provides free, confidential one-to-one reading coaching for adults from trained volunteers, through locally-run, affiliated volunteer groups. The charity featured on a BBC documentary about dyslexia made by BNU’s inaugural Chancellor, Jay Blades MBE which aired earlier this year.
Across England, 2.4 million adults cannot read at all or struggle to read which can make everyday life more challenging and have an impact on mental health.
Jay Blades MBE, Chancellor of BNU, said: “High Wycombe is a very special place to me because studying at BNU set me on the right path towards the future. And I know first-hand about Read Easy’s amazing work which has made such a difference to my life. It’s great to see BNU doing their bit to get Read Easy Chilterns off the ground and I wish everyone involved all the best and every success for the future.”
Read Easy Chilterns supports adults living and working in Buckinghamshire at any stage of their journey of learning to read and offers both in-person and remote, digital-led coaching sessions.
Professor Nick Braisby, Vice-Chancellor at BNU said:
“We’re delighted to donate £5,000 to fund the learning resources for Read Easy Chilterns’ first 100 readers. At BNU we believe in the transformative power of education, and so we’re honoured to play our part in unlocking local people’s potential through learning to read. We take great pride in all that Jay Blades has achieved, and we’re delighted to help Read Easy get started locally so that the charity can help others just as it did for Jay. Making a difference in our local community is important to the University which is why so many BNU students and staff volunteer their time.”
Photo caption: Jay Blades MBE with Vice-Chancellor Professor Nick Braisby.
Louise Harvey, head of communications at BNU and a Read Easy Chilterns volunteer, said: “It’s great that BNU gives two days’ paid leave every year through its volunteering policy so that individuals and teams can make a positive impact in our local communities. It’s enabled me to take time out of the working day to pitch for funding and help spread the word about the charity which has proved invaluable. And BNU’s donation has also been gratefully received by everyone at Read Easy Chilterns because we know what a difference it will make to local people’s lives.”