Reading Matters!

I finished the day at the new HEART centre in Headingley...

HEART is the flagship project of Headingley Development Trust (HDT)...
The centre represents the culmination of a five year dream to keep a much loved old primary school building in community use. Their vision has created a vibrant and welcoming space for a wide range of people to meet, mix, work and play. Their Hawkers Green Cafe lies at the heart of the building.

Their food is locally sourced wherever possible and is freshly made on the premises with cakes and pastries baked throughout the day and complimented by a selection of teas and coffees. Well worth a visit if you are in Headingley!

I was at the HEART Centre to meet Andrea Smart, chief executive of Reading Matters...

Education Leeds has been supporting this fantastic social enterprise which is committed to improving the life chances of all children by improving their reading skills. It offers an intervention programme of one-to-one support for children and young people who are under-achieving in literacy. The programme is organised around activities that directly focus on reading, but the trained volunteers also help develop motivation, confidence and attitude to reading. The Reading Matters team has recruited, trained and supported thousands of volunteer reading mentors in schools as well as offering accredited training and workshops for school governors, parents, teaching assistants, librarians and other support staff, as well as children and students. The team are happy to visit schools to find out more about specific requirements and will design and deliver bespoke programmes of training and support to meet individual school’s needs. You can contact the Reading Matters team at Reading Matters, PO Box 500, Halifax Road, Bradford BD6 2LZ or by telephone  on 01274 692219 or by email at info@readingmatters.org.uk.
Chris