Improving Literacy (Bob's story)

Bob, was ordered to complete 80 hours of Unpaid Work after he was found Guilty of causing Grievous Bodily Harm. Unpaid Work benefits the local community.

During this time with the Probation Service he found out about a new literacy and numeracy scheme called Toe by Toe, which has been successful developed in prisons.

Bob revealed: "Getting in trouble with the law is not the best way to find help but for me this crisis has been a turning point in my life. I have tried other literacy courses but I never seemed to be able to learn and found them frustrating.

"My illiteracy is something I have managed all my life and I have found ways to hide it. My memory is brilliant because I couldn't write things down. I have kept it hidden to the point that if I was with a nice woman, but I thought she might find out, I would stop seeing her rather than have to admit to it. It has affected my confidence. I have always been ashamed about my reading."

His reading tutor explained: "As Bob's literacy has improved, so has his confidence and self esteem. It has been a pleasure to work with him, he has put in a lot of time, effort and commitment to learning."

Clair Looby, Volunteer Co-ordinator for the Probation Service said: "We know there is a very high correlation between lack of literacy and offending.

"The Toe-by-Toe scheme has been successfully used in the prison service and it is great that we are now able to offer it to our service users. One of the strongest links with offending is lack of employment and obviously if you cannot read, then your chances of getting a job is markedly reduced. This is a crucial scheme as far as helping to break the cycle of offending is concerned."

She added: "Our volunteers really make a difference, and for some it can help with career development."

CREDIT: Extracts taken from a story that appeared in the Leicester Mercury.

* names have been changed.