Unitas

Fundraising consultants at Charity Fundraising Ltd are delighted to welcome Unitas as a new client.

Unitas is a national charity that helps young people at the margins access, participate and progress in mainstream education and training.

An initial focus of our work will be the seeking of grant funding for TextNow ; an innovative reader engagement programme that motivates young people aged 13 - 19  to become more confident and able readers. The TextNow model is based on a structured programme of daily 20-minute reading sessions each weekday for a period of 12 weeks supported by trained volunteer coaches, a small library and an incentive scheme. This regular and focused one-to-one support aims to encourage a young person's interest in and enjoyment of reading to reduce the risk of long-term social exclusion. TextNow  is targeted at NEET young people; Young People not in Education, Employment or Training.

TextNow  operates within many sectors, for example; Youth Offending Teams, Prison service establishments, EBD schools, challenge schools, learning support units, pupil referral units, training providers, looked after children through foster carers, FE Colleges, voluntary organisations, learning centres working with young people excluded from school etc.

Graham Parker, Director of Charity Fundraising Ltd said; ''there is evidence that poor literacy often goes hand in hand with a high risk of offending and re- offending. The 'Every Child a Reader' programme  highlighted that 25% of young people who offend have reading skills below that of the average seven year old and 60% of the prison population has difficulties in basic literacy skills. Unitas is working proactively to make a difference, Charity Fundraising Ltd is delighted to be working with them.''

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