A READING charity will start tackling the education gap caused by the coronavirus, thanks to a donation from Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF).
ABC to Read has been granted £5,000 to address literacy in primary school-aged children following the pandemic.
According to BCF, one in four youngsters left primary school in 2019 unable to read to the required standard, and unemployed adults are twice as likely to have weak literacy skills.
Now, the Reading-based charity will use the funds to continue mentoring children to improve their reading abilities, following fears the virus prevented children from keeping up with their classmates.
Marcia Rowlinson, CEO of ABC to Read, said: “It is absolutely crucial to address the education gap caused by Covid-19, to improve the future prospects of our local youngsters.
“Our volunteers are a critical part of the recovery process at this difficult time, bridging that gap and inspiring a love of reading, and we are ever grateful for the ongoing support of BCF in helping us impact as many Berkshire children as we can.”
READ MORE: IN THE COMMUNITY: ABC TO Read
On average, the charity supports 360 children and invests 12,000 hours into helping them read each year.
