ADULTS in Blackbird Leys who struggle to read will be able to sign up for a free literacy course on the estate.

National charity Read Easy has set up Oxford’s first group on the estate to help coach residents.

Run by volunteers it aims to provide one-to-one learning sessions.

Steering group member Clare Ashworth said: “It’s for adults who, up to that point in their life, just haven’t got into reading.

“Being able to read is something most of us take for granted.

“We think nothing of reading signposts when we’re driving, labels in the supermarket, or the TV guide when we’re relaxing in the evening. It’s easy to forget that some of us aren’t so lucky.”

Participants will have 30-minute one-to-one confidential coaching sessions twice a week from volunteers.

Miss Ashworth added: “We will use a co-ordinator to match them up with a volunteer and help them.

“They can learn at their own pace using a phonics-based reading manual that has been designed specifically for adult learners.

“The manual is designed to make it easy for anyone to teach someone else to read and takes about six months to complete.”

According to a report from the Oxfordshire Learning Partnership, about a quarter of adults in Blackbird Leys have poor literacy, and 36 per cent have no formal qualifications.

Miss Ashworth said: “The estate has low literacy levels – people are not always well educated.

“Blackbird Leys was identified as the main area in Oxford which could do with some help, but we hope the scheme could expand.”

The first Read Easy group came out of working with prisoners in Dorset in 2010 and since then it has been steadily expanding into other parts of the country.

While the idea to set up a group in Blackbird Leys first came about in 2013, the formal committee was not set up until this year.

Miss Ashworth, an editor from Abingdon, joined last month.

She said: “I wanted to get involved in some literacy charity work.

“Initially I was just keen on volunteering but I quickly got dragged into being a part of the committee.

“It’s quite exciting. We’re trying to recruit a co-ordinator and then we can start working on volunteers.

“We’re aiming to get 10 volunteers at first.”

While the group has a full management committee, it is looking for someone to fill the volunteer position of co-ordinator.

Applications for the role close on May 1.

The scheme is also looking for volunteers to become reading coaches, as well as for people wanting to learn to read.

For more information, email blackbirdleys@readeasy.org.uk or visit readeasy.org.uk