Okehampton resident Richard Clear has recently established an initiative to help adults struggling to read in order to improve life chances and wellbeing in the area.

Mr Clear set up the newest branch of Read Easy, a national charity which helps adults learn to read, in May after he learnt of the ‘surprising’ number of people across the country who struggle to read fluently due to problems from dyslexia to complete illiteracy.

He said: ‘I found out about Read Easy and phoned the Exeter office. I said I wanted to join the Okehampton branch and he said they hadn’t got one so I started one here.’

The small Okehampton team are now hunting for ways to inform people of the new service without recourse to the written word.

Mr Clear said: ‘The biggest problem is making people aware of us and finding ways for people who can’t read to find out about us - leaflets are no use to them - and then encourage them to face the embarrassment and come forward.’

Many of those who struggle to read, he said, are ashamed of it and finding coping mechanisms in order to hide the fact that they cannot read well. Sometimes so well that even close friends and family members are unaware of the problem.

So far, Mr Clear has reached out to Okehampton Medical Centre, Okehampton College, drama organsation Get Changed Theatre, women’s charity Gilead Foundations and the town council to spread the word and will be holding surgery sessions in the library on Tuesday between 10am and 12pm for anyone who needs help, fancies a chat or would like more information about the service.

He is also working on providing easy-to-read adult books in the library and hopes to bring local organisations together to find ways to identify and reach out to those struggling to read and write.

Read Easy estimates that 2.4 million adults in England alone have issues with reading and Mr Clear estimates there could be around 1,000 adults in Okehampton with reading difficultes.

He explained that adults with reading difficulties are more likely to suffer with poor mental health, work in low-paid jobs and fall into crime.

Adult illiteracy has had more media coverage since TV presenter Jay Blades released a documentary which followed his experience of learning to read despite being in his 50s.

For more information visit www.readeasy.org.uk