A SOUTH Shropshire group of volunteers is celebrating a milestone anniversary.

Read Easy Shropshire Hills, which is the only organisation providing literacy services to adults in the rural area has just celebrated five years of helping adults learn to read.

For those who missed the opportunity of learning how to read at school, the reality is very difficult. From letters to medicine instructions or even reading a recipe, reading is important in our day-to-day lives.

The small volunteer-run group has so far helped more than 35 adults who have taken the brave decision to come forward and join their free, confidential, one-to-one coaching programme.

They are paired with a trained reading coach and work together through reading manuals, in private, at a time to suit them both.

A group spokesperson said it is important is that everyone can learn at their own pace without feeling rushed.

There is no pressure, targets, or exams to worry about, and no reminders of what it was like at school.

Read Easy now offers coaching beyond the Shropshire Hills area to cover Shrewsbury and its surroundings, north Herefordshire and east Powys. They also offer coaching online which means that the service is accessible during the day and outside working hours.

If you know someone who would like to learn to read, contact Bob Tweddle (Shrewsbury area) on 07597 350439 or by email at shcoordinator3@readeasy.org.uk. For south Shropshire contact Steve Gibbon on 07707 762653 or shcoordinator2@readeasy.org.uk