Marcy Rice, Author at Helen Arkell

Vote for us at My Favourite Voucher Codes

Vote for the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity this February in the My Favourite Voucher Codes Charity Poll

We are delighted to be taking part in My Favourite Voucher Codes monthly charity poll, where we are up for a chance to win 20% of their profits. As one of three charities taking part, we need your support!

My Favourite Voucher Codes isn’t your average voucher code website – not only do they help their users to save money whenever they shop online, they’re also passionate about helping good causes, donating 20% of their profits to charity every month.

With thousands of voucher codes and offers from the UK’s favourite merchants, their site gives users the opportunity to save money on groceries, fashion, tech, beauty, travel, insurance and loads more.

Every month, three charities take part in their poll to compete for votes by visitors to the site. At the end of the month, the charity with the most votes wins the donation.

How is the money raised?

The donation to the winning charity is formed by the amount of voucher codes used throughout the month. Every time someone makes a purchase through My Favourite Voucher Codes, the site makes a small commission, which is at no extra cost to the customer. In short, every time a customer shops through the site, they will be contributing to the donation prize, and of course, the more codes used, the bigger the donation.

How to support Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity

To be in with a chance of winning this donation, we need your votes. You can cast your vote for free from 1 February, and the poll will run up until midnight on 28 February.

You don’t need to register or sign up for anything to take part, and you don’t have to use any codes for your vote to count, so everyone can get involved!

If however you do need to do any online shopping, make sure you have a browse at the site’s offers, as chances are you’ll come across a voucher code to help you save money on your purchase. Not only that, but by making a purchase through the site you’ll also be contributing towards the donation we’re up for winning!

Please share the poll on your social media channels too if you can to help us get even more votes! Show your support for the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity this February and help us offer dyslexia support to everyone who needs it.

Thank you!

My Favourite Voucher Codes website

By Marcy Rice|2024-07-23T16:50:14+01:00January 22nd, 2023|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Spotlight session – dyslexia and sleep

Before the summer, we put a call out for research participants in dyslexia and sleep on behalf of University College London’s Katrin Jeffcock. Katrin has now completed her work and is presenting her ground-breaking findings on the evening of Wednesday 25 January.

We would love you to join us to listen to this exciting talk. Suitable for parents and for education professionals as CPD.

Book your place here.

By Marcy Rice|2024-07-23T16:50:21+01:00January 18th, 2023|Course news, Research news, Uncategorized|0 Comments

CEO blog – An unforgettable evening with the Royal Family

13 January 2023

An unforgettable evening with the Royal Family

January’s started off a bit grey and miserable, so I thought I’d cheer you up by handing the blog over to a special guest this time. Vicky is a long-standing supporter of this charity, having been a dear friend of our late founder Helen herself, for many years. Vicky’s going to fill you in on a very exciting adventure she had before Christmas, along with four other lucky members of the Helen Arkell team. Over to you Vicky …!

The first big excitement was receiving a beautiful card invitation to the Royal Carol Concert in an envelope marked “Buckingham Palace”. I had been lucky enough to win one of the five tickets that Princess Beatrice had donated to Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity, for supporters of the charity to attend this amazing event at Westminster Abbey. My name had been put in the hat because I’m a ‘Friend of Helen Arkell’. By the time the important day arrived, Thursday 15th December 2022, I was like a child on Christmas Eve.

As that Thursday was a day between two days of rail strikes, we decided to go up to London mid morning, in order not to be heId up by transport. I had arranged to meet another lucky winner on the train – Samantha, one of the admin team at the charity – and we decided to find the correct entrance to Westminster Abbey before we had a look round. There was already snow on the grass and everything was sparkling in the sunshine. We found somewhere nearby to eat until it was the time we were supposed to take our seats, and we spent a very pleasant time eating and people-watching in the Methodist Centre. We managed to meet up with the other lucky winners – one of the charity’s dyslexia assessors, one of their teachers, and a trustee.

We had to wait quite a while in the queue, but we were offered mince pies and all the guides were very cheerful and chatted to us. We had been told that the Prince and Princess of Wales would be holding the
concert, but were very excited to learn that, at the last moment, all the Royal Family had decided to attend. We had to wait whilst a car dropped off a member of royalty, and then, after passing through
security, we made our way into the Abbey.

It was very crowded, and I sat at the back of a large block of people but right at the end of a row. As I am very tiny, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to see much, but as soon as the King and Queen Consort arrived, everyone stood up and I crept into the gap between the blocks and saw King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Princes and Princesses and Dukes and Duchesses, walk past right in front of me.

I had no idea that the programme would include so many famous people, including Mel C, Hugh Bonneville, Alfie Boe and Craig David. Those that were too far away for us to see were filmed on large screens all around the Abbey, so we did not miss anything. The service was a beautiful mixture of readings and songs, including Away in a Manger, sung by a choir of Ukrainian children.

It was all over far too quickly and, instead of making our way out of the doors, we were rather naughty and made our way to the front of the Abbey, where we saw the Royal Thrones, The Christmas Tree decorated with Paddington Bears and the Nativity Scene, and we took the opportunity to take lots of photos.

This was one of the most exciting days of my life. I felt l like a child in a sweet shop, and so fortunate to have been present.

When all the excitement was over, we made our way back to Waterloo and were lucky enough to catch a train almost immediately and travelled home very tired and aware of the fact that we had shared an important moment in history.

Vickie

By Marcy Rice|2024-07-23T16:50:28+01:00January 13th, 2023|CEO blog|0 Comments

Fancy a challenge? Run the Royal Parks Half Marathon for us in October

The Royal Parks Half Marathon is one of the most beautiful city runs in the world. The stunning 13.1 mile route takes in the capital’s world-famous landmarks on closed roads, and four of London’s Royal Parks – Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens.

Taking part will raise funds to help us support children, young people and adults who have dyslexia.

We have places on #TeamArkell and would love you to join us! Register here.

By Marcy Rice|2024-07-23T16:50:35+01:00January 1st, 2023|Fundraising news|0 Comments

Reading in adults with dyslexia research

***This study has now closed. Thank you for participating! Sign up to our e-newsletter to hear about the research results later this year.***

Laura is a third-year student at Royal Holloway, University of London. She is researching reading and enjoyment and reading behaviour in adults who have dyslexia and is recruiting participants for the study.

Laura says:

We are looking for adults aged 18-30 with dyslexia to participate in our online study, with the opportunity to enter a prize draw for a £50 Amazon voucher. We are looking for adults with normal/corrected-to-normal vision and hearing, who are native English speakers (defined as attending school in a majority English speaking country from age 5). We kindly ask you not to participate if you have a neurodevelopmental condition that affects learning (e.g. autism, ADHD, epilepsy).

The main task of the study will involve reading a series of short book extracts, rating how much you enjoy them, and deciding if you would like to read a bit more of the book, or if you would like to move straight on to the next book.

You will also be asked to complete two short questionnaires about your reading history and experiences, and a measure of reading fluency.

Taking part will take approximately 30 minutes.

Please use a computer, laptop or tablet to complete the study rather than a mobile device, to ensure tasks are displayed correctly.

***This study has now closed. Thank you for participating! Sign up to our e-newsletter to hear about the research results later this year.***

Thank you!

By Marcy Rice|2024-07-23T16:50:42+01:00December 14th, 2022|Research news|0 Comments

CEO Blog – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

2 December 2022

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, a big donation, and an incredible quilt …

It might only be 2nd December, but our sweet little home in 24 West Street is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, much to the delight of the many visitors who keep coming through our doors.

It smells a lot like Christmas too, particularly in my room, because that’s where the mulled wine was served on Wednesday evening, when we opened our doors to the local community for Christmas Drinks, to nibble on the odd mince pie and hear more about our work.

The great and the good of Farnham and the surrounding area were here in force, including the Mayor of Farnham, who presented us with a cheque from Farnham Town Council, to provide specialist help to people with dyslexia from lower-income backgrounds.

Two other groups deserve special mention. The one is Castle Quilters, because they had clubbed together to make an amazing quilt in memory of dear departed Jan, who was not only a keen fellow-quilter, but also knew our charity well, having received much support from us over the years. Their donated quilt took pride of place in the raffle, (alongside Helen’s homemade cake), and spurred people on to buy loads more raffle tickets than usual. It was great that the winner, Lorna, was someone who has themselves done so much for the cause of Helen Arkell, having raised over £2,600 in sponsorship when running the Royal Parks Half Marathon for us earlier this year, along with her friend Susie.

The other special group are the family of our founder, the late Helen Arkell MBE. Peter, one of Helen’s children, attended Christmas Drinks on the family’s behalf, and announced a special donation of £40,000 from the family to the Charity, as a lasting legacy to Helen’s memory. How amazing is that?!!

Everything we do has the aim of furthering the work that Helen started back in 1971, with a special interest in providing 1:1 support to children and adults, regardless of ability to pay, and training teachers so their expertise can reach many more children with dyslexia in their classrooms, throughout their careers.

I hope Helen looks down on us and is proud of what we are doing in her name. This year, we have supported more people than ever:
• 1,387 children and adults have received 1:1 support from us for their dyslexia, or suspected dyslexia.
• Another 1,380 people have received training from us in how to support people with dyslexia at home, at school, and in the workplace.
• People have come from 27 counties of the UK, and from 12 different countries.
• 271 individuals have benefitted from bursary-funded support this year, at a total cost of over £120,000.

We can only increase the numbers of people we support, and the various ways in which we help them, thanks to a whole team effort. So, if you’re already a Friend of Helen Arkell, thank you for being part of a growing gang. And if you’re not (yet), then why not join us, and be part of a very special organisation that touches the lives of over 2,500 people a year?

By joining us as a Friend of Helen Arkell, you’ll be giving us the best Christmas present we could possibly have. And in return, you’ll hear our behind-the-scenes news, attend our events, and if you’re lucky you might even meet Teddy Edward Arkell Bear (!).

Thank you!
Andy

By Marcy Rice|2024-07-23T16:51:03+01:00December 2nd, 2022|CEO blog|0 Comments

Beautiful donation from Castle Quilters

We held annual drinks evening on 30 November for friends and supporters including the Mayor, Councillor Alan Earwaker. This is the first Christmas event at our new home on West Street.

The evening was made extra special by a fantastic donation from Farnham’s Castle Quilters who handmade a beautiful quilt to raffle in memory of a very special member of their quilting circle.

Jan Ashwell lived in Bordon for over 40 years and taught for 26 of those at Mill Chase School. As well as being a talented quilter, Jan was passionate about supporting young people with dyslexia and additional learning needs, including getting support and a diagnosis for her son. Sadly, Jan passed away last July.

The Christmas Drinks raffle made over £350 for the charity.

Huge thanks to the Castle Quilters for their enormously kind and beautiful donation – a long-lasting symbol of friendship both to Jan and to the charity. We are thrilled that the quilt was won by Lorna, one of our amazing supporters who ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon for Helen Arkell back in October. The quilt is now taking pride of place in Lorna’s home.

By Marcy Rice|2024-07-23T16:51:20+01:00December 1st, 2022|Fundraising news|0 Comments

Handwriting research – invitation to join

At Helen Arkell, we use a test called DASH-2 (Detailed Assessment for Speed of Handwriting, second edition) during our dyslexia assessments. Pearson Clinical UK, the publishers of the test, alongside academics at Oxford Brookes University, are developing a new edition of the battery of tests that the DASH test is part of. They are currently particularly interested in recruiting children and young adults with dyslexia to take part in their research. Could you or your child take part?

This is the message from Pearson Clinical UK:

At Pearson Clinical UK, we develop and distribute assessments for professionals in psychology, allied health, general education, special needs education, and other areas serving people of all ages and cultures.

What is happening? Pearson Assessment is collecting data for a new project involving the development of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children – Third Edition (MABC-3) and the Detailed Assessment for Speed of Handwriting (DASH-2). For this project, we will measure children’s movement ability and handwriting speed. By testing a large number of children and adults, we can understand how they typically perform. The results from this project will help develop the new assessments. The published assessment will then enable professionals to identify children who require intervention and support with movement activities and handwriting. We welcome your/your child’s participation in the project.

What will the project involve? If you agree to be involved, Pearson Assessment will first determine whether you/your child fit the criteria for taking part based on the demographic information you provide. If you/your child are chosen to take part, we will contact you via email to arrange an assessment session. This should take around 45 minutes, although this will depend on age and ability of the person being tested. The assessment will take place either at home or at a convenient public location. The tests will be conducted by a trained professional (with an enhanced DBS check). They will ask you/your child to complete some movement activities such as throwing, catching and jumping and/or handwriting tasks.

Being part of this research means that you can help make tests more accurate for those being assessed so that they can get better and more directed intervention and support. If you would like to be part of this project, please follow the links below. By clicking on the links, you are not committing to taking part in the research.

Children aged 3-15 years

Young adults aged 16-25 years

Thank you!

By Marcy Rice|2024-07-23T16:51:28+01:00November 22nd, 2022|Research news|0 Comments

Research into counselling for young people with dyslexia

Clare Field is a Masters student at the University of Roehampton and she is looking into the effects of counselling and psychotherapy on children who are diagnosed with dyslexia. Are you a young person who fits the criteria and may be able to help Clare? Details are below.

Aim: Study into the experience of counselling and psychotherapy for dyslexic children and young people
“…without asking the client themselves what has been helpful, the research can
only make assumptions as to why an individual may or may not have benefited from
therapy.” (Stamp & Loewenthal, 2008, p.350)

• As a child or young person, did you receive support through counselling and/or psychotherapy?
• Are you diagnosed with dyslexia?
• Would you like the opportunity to talk, explore and share your experiences of counselling and/or psychotherapy you had as a child or young person?

***I am looking for***
● Participants aged 18-24 years
● Diagnosis of dyslexia
● Received counselling/ psychotherapy or play therapy as a child or young person
● Willing to talk about experiences of therapy and dyslexia
● Available to talk over Microsoft teams for a 1-hour interview
If you are interested in taking part in the research, please contact me via email: Clare Field at fieldc@roehampton.ac.uk