Charity in crisis after losing funding

A CHARITY which helps children learn to read is facing a financial crisis after the Government withdrew vital funding.

Read It Together, formerly known as The Pooh Bear Reading Assistance Society, has been in Hull for more than 30 years and has given thousands of children one-to-one reading support.

The society thought it had Children’s Fund funding until March 2011, but the last quarter’s money, 14,250, has been withdrawn, which could cause the charity to fold. The two full-time members of staff, and one part-timer, are now working a four-day week.

The charity supports 200 adult volunteers who work in 60 schools helping children to read. In addition in half the schools there are 300 reading mentors – older children who work with younger children. Project manager Josephine Roper said: “As it is 55 per cent of our funding it’s a huge hole. It always is a struggle to get funding, but this has never happened before. We are way above the targets in everything we do.

“The Government talks about the Big Society, but if they want to get more people involved in volunteering it is not something you just go and do – you need support.”