Did you know that 1 in 6 adults in the UK struggle to read and write? Try to imagine not being able to read the daily paper or to use the Internet. How would you cope if you couldn’t read a red bill telling you your electricity will be cut off? If you have children, how would you feel if you couldn’t read the invites they were sent for their friend’s parties or their school reports and worse still if you couldn’t help them with their homework? The pressure of keeping this all from the people around you would be unbearable.
In October this year I will be climbing Kilimanjaro in support of the National Literacy Trust. I aim to raise £3,500 and I would like to ask you to help me with a donation towards this goal. It might help to know that:
£50 can help 15 families with motivational reading events, resources and storytelling activities
£30 means an adult can take part in a course which improves their literacy which has led in some instances to writing a book!
£20 means a child could take part in inspiring reading events and choose and keep 3 free books.Climbing Kilimanjaro is no mean feat and I’m training now to ensure I can complete the challenge and raise as much money as possible for this amazing charity. Just knowing that the money we raise can help to change people’s lives will keep me going up the 5898 metres (that’s 19,340 ft in old money!), over 6 days and over 80 kilometres – the oxygen at the top of the climb is less than half that found at sea level.
The NLT deliver projects across the UK to those seeking to improve literacy, give free books to disadvantaged children and run volunteering schemes to encourage both adults and children to read and enjoy the possibilities this creates. These events will have the power to inspire them to become life-long readers and increase their life opportunities. Literacy has a huge impact on happiness and success and is a vital ingredient of an equal society.
For those of us who are literate, it is very easy to take it for granted. Thank you so much for your donation, it will change someone’s life forever.
