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RS3757_195 First Words Together Summer Party - Lakeside Centre

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  • The North East has the second highest literacy need of any region in England

    60% of wards in the North East have significant literacy need, and the region is second most at risk of literacy problems in the country.

  • 17% of adults in the North East cannot read well

    About 283,500 people in the region aged 16 to 65 have literacy levels at or below that expected of a 9 to 11 year old.

  • 1 in 10 children in the North East don’t own a single book

    More than 10% of children aged 8-18 have no books of their own at home.

  • 1 in 4 five-year-olds in the North East started school without the necessary literacy skills

    7,982 children in the region don't have the communication, language and literacy skills they need to flourish when they start school.

How you can help

  • We rely on the generous support of individuals, schools, communities and businesses to help us continue our vital work in the North East.
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  • Your support is the reason we are able to keep working with disadvantaged families in the North East. Donate today and help us give even more children the literacy skills to succeed in life.
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