About Vicky Brighton

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Vicky Brighton has created 28 blog entries.

Farnham Literary Festival – Supporting Dyslexic Learners in the Classroom and at Home

We’re delighted to be part of this year’s Farnham Literary Festival! 📚
Sign up to hear our in-person talk at Helen Arkell, ‘Supporting Dyslexic Learners in the Classroom and at Home’, presented by Claire Harvey, Head of Education at Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity and author of ‘Supporting Dyslexic Learners in the Classroom’ published by Sage Publications.
This talk will briefly touch on some of the reasons why dyslexic learners struggle with aspects of learning and will provide attendees with some simple, tried and tested practical suggestions, tips, resources and activities that could be used to help support dyslexic learners in the classroom and at home.
Suitable for both educators and parents.
Join us in Farnham on Sunday 8 March at 10:30am*. Just £15!
To learn more about the Festival and this talk, visit the Farnham Literary website.

*We’ll be offering 10% off Helen Arkell products/publications from our shop and Claire’s Little Guide for attendees on the day. 

By |2026-02-10T13:57:11+00:00February 10th, 2026|Homepage featured, Latest news, Shop news|Comments Off on Farnham Literary Festival – Supporting Dyslexic Learners in the Classroom and at Home

Touch Typing Half Term Course for Children

NEW FOR HALF TERM!

 Introducing our NEW 3‑day half‑term course for children who’ve completed our Intro to Touch Typing (or equivalent).

Fun, multi‑sensory sessions to build speed, accuracy and confidence on the keyboard.

📅 18–20 February 2026 9:30 am – 1 pm
📍 Location: Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity
📧 Subsidised places available – email courses@helenarkell.org.uk

Help your child build speed, accuracy and confidence with touch typing this half-term and get ahead with their skills!

🔗 Book here! 

By |2026-02-06T13:43:01+00:00February 6th, 2026|Course news, Homepage featured, Latest news, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Touch Typing Half Term Course for Children

Nordomatic’s Southeastern Team Supports Helen Arkell as 2026 Charity of the Year

We are delighted to have been chosen as Nordomatic’s Charity of the Year for 2026.

We greatly appreciate this support and look forward to working collaboratively with their organisation to raise awareness and help more individuals with dyslexia throughout the year ahead.

Nordomatic is a long‑established leader in smart building technology and Building Management Systems (BMS), founded in 1967 and now operating across Europe. Often described as “The Brain of the Building,” Nordomatic combines deep technical expertise with innovative digital solutions to help organisations manage buildings more effectively. With a large team across more than 30 offices, they play a significant role in driving the transition to smarter, greener, and more efficient built environments.

We are delighted that their divisional team in London and the Southeast will be fundraising for us and thrilled to hear so many at Nordomatic love to take part in exciting challenges for charity.

This June some of the Nordomatic team will be taking part in the London to Brighton bike ride for Helen Arkell. If you are nearby, why not cheer them on as they cross the finish line near the Pier on Maderia Drive at Brighton Seafront on Sunday 21 June 2026.

We look forward to their support over the comihttps://www.londonbrightoncycle.co.uk/ng year from our new friends at Nordomatic.

If you’d like to help Nordomatic, a JustGiving fundraiser is available for donations to our cause: https://www.justgiving.com/page/nordomatic2026

Thank you!

By |2026-02-04T16:23:25+00:00February 4th, 2026|Fundraising news, Homepage featured, Latest news|Comments Off on Nordomatic’s Southeastern Team Supports Helen Arkell as 2026 Charity of the Year

The Dyslexic Advantage – a UK premier screening at Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity

🎬 Join us for the UK premiere of The Dyslexic Advantage – a powerful new short film reshaping how we understand dyslexia on Wednesday 4th Feb 2026.

Moving beyond the narrative of struggle, this inspiring film celebrates dyslexia as a strength, driving creativity, innovation, problem solving, and discovery.

Nearly 1 in 5 people think differently and this film shows why that matters.

🎤 Special Guest Q&A

We’re delighted to be joined by Fernette Eide, CEO of Dyslexic Advantage, Executive Producer of the film, and co author of the renowned book The Dyslexic Advantage.

Fernette will answer questions live after the screening.

 

🌍 Online event – attend from anywhere! Can’t watch live on the night? No problem.

Book your place and we’ll send you the recording later in the week.

 

👪 Who is this for?

✔️ Parents

✔️ Teachers and education professionals

 

Through science, animation, and powerful personal stories of innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs, the film also gently explores the social and emotional challenges young people can face in school and how understanding strengths can change outcomes.

 

The Dyslexic Advantage book is available to purchase in our shop: https://helenarkell.org.uk/product/the-dyslexic-advantage-new-edition/

 

👉 Book now to secure your place for this Spotlight session: https://helenarkell.org.uk/events/spotlight-the-dyslexic-advantage/

By |2026-01-21T10:01:01+00:00January 21st, 2026|Homepage featured, Latest news, Shop news, Uncategorized|Comments Off on The Dyslexic Advantage – a UK premier screening at Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity

Tesco Stronger Starts

We’re thrilled to be part of the Stronger Starts customer vote for Tesco in 2026!

This scheme gives community projects grants of up to £1,500.

Tesco customers can now vote in store in the Gerrards Cross, Ashford, Sunbury, Abingdon, Buckingham, Faringdon, Kidlington and Egham Tesco Stores.

There are a number of stores in each of these areas where you can vote.

During January to March this year every blue token is a vote to decide how much funding we get, so please support us next time you shop at Tesco!

Through the project we will provide specialist dyslexia training to teachers and teaching assistants in locals schools around these areas.

The training will support all the pupils in the school community and many more children over the course of each teacher’s career.

The stores where you can drop a blue token for Helen Arkell are: 

Gerrards Cross

2267 Chalfont Express Express SL9 0NP
2564 Gerrards Cross Superstore SL9 8ER
5355 Chalfont St Peter Express Express SL9 9HE

Ashford

2047 Ashford Middlesex Extra Extra TW19 7PZ
5478 Ashford Express Express TW15 2UT

Sunbury

3220 Sunbury Extra TW16 7BB
6820 Ashford Staines Express Express TW15 1RP

Abingdon

2008 Abingdon Extra OX14 1TU
5429 Grove Wantage Express Express OX12 7JZ
6426 Abingdon Fitzharris Express Express OX14 1JH
6519 Abingdon Oxford Road Express Express OX14 2ED

Buckingham

2162 Buckingham Superstore MK18 1AB
5143 Market Hill Express Express MK18 1JX

Faringdon

4338 Faringdon Superstore Superstore SN7 7BP

Kidlington

2319 Witney Cogges Hill Express Express OX28 3XY
2488 Eynsham Express Express OX29 4EF
2499 Fettiplace Witney Express Express OX28 5AP
2788 Kidlington Superstore Superstore OX5 2DN
3339 Witney Valence Crescent Express Express OX28 5YP
3418 Witney Express Express OX28 4EJ

Egham

2454 Egham Superstore Superstore TW20 9EX
4690 Staines High Street Express Express TW18 4QB

We’ll be sharing stories of how our work helps in these areas very soon. 

To learn more about Stronger Starts, visit the Tesco website here.

tescoplc.com/strongerstarts

By |2026-01-19T11:07:54+00:00January 19th, 2026|Fundraising news, Homepage featured, Latest news, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Tesco Stronger Starts

New Handwriting Spotlights – A 2-part series by the National Handwriting Association

We are delighted to bring you two new courses in January. 
Many dyslexic learners struggle with handwriting, and this can have a number of negative impacts on learning. Finding out about the skills involved in handwriting, why some learners struggle, what research tells us about handwriting, and how to support learners with handwriting difficulties at home or in the classroom, is extremely valuable for both parents and education professionals.

The National Handwriting Association are experts in this field and we are delighted that they will come and share all their knowledge and expertise over these two new Spotlight Sessions with us in January.

The two spotlights, part 1 and part 2, are appropriate for parents and education professionals.
  • What does handwriting typically look like in children with dyslexia and how does this differ from the handwriting of neurotypical children
  • What does current research tell us about handwriting difficulties and support options
  • What role does weak spelling have on the impact of handwriting
  • Practical strategies and top tips for supporting handwriting both at home and in the classroom

Part 2 on 19 January will explore the wider implications of handwriting including

  • What does current research tell us about the wider implications of handwriting difficulties
  • What are the options for reasonable accommodations e.g. extra time/use of word processor
  • Practical strategies when handwriting difficulties persist into secondary school
  • What role do handwriting interventions have
  • When to consider touch typing

 

To find out more or make a booking please see our courses page. 

By |2025-12-19T10:40:57+00:00December 19th, 2025|Course news, Homepage featured, Latest news|Comments Off on New Handwriting Spotlights – A 2-part series by the National Handwriting Association

More Support for Adults with Undiagnosed Dyslexia Needed – BBC News

Adults struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia are facing challenges, from the high cost of assessments to the difficulty of navigating word-heavy online resources.
Amanda Lightowler, Specialist Tutor for Children and Adults at Helen Arkell comments in today’s article on BBC News that many people seeking answers are deterred by costs. For those already grappling with literacy barriers, even finding reliable information online can feel like an impossible task.

Read the full article here.

At Helen Arkell, we offer a range of dyslexia assessments for adults and children. A dyslexia assessment will help someone understand their strengths, and why they may be experiencing difficulties in their learning or day-to-day life.

For enquiries about all types of assessments including adult assessments, please see our dyslexia assessments page here.

By |2025-12-10T14:39:00+00:00December 10th, 2025|Homepage featured, Latest news, Uncategorized|Comments Off on More Support for Adults with Undiagnosed Dyslexia Needed – BBC News

The Big Give #ChristmasChallenge

Your Donation Will Be DOUBLED This December !

We’re very excited to let you know that we have been selected to participate in this year’s Big Give #ChristmasChallenge.

That means that every donation made to our campaign via BigGive.org during the week of 2 – 9 December, will be doubled.

All donations to Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity will be matched £1 for £1 through the #ChristmasChallenge, helped by our group of incredible pledgers and our champion match funder, AKO Foundation.

Your donation of £10 turns into £20, your £50 into £100 – and so on!

So whatever you can give, no matter the size, every donation will make double the difference helping us to deliver specialist support for people with dyslexia.

What can you do now?

✅ Starting today at midday and running until 9 December, make a donation to the Big Give’s #ChristmasChallenge here. The donate button will appear on the Big Give Helen Arkell page when the campaign starts at 12pm (midday) today.

Share the campaign with friends, family, or on social media – anyone who may want their donation doubled!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at fundraising@helenarkell.org.uk

Thank you so much for your support – together, we can make twice the impact in 2026!

Watch the Big Give Video here! Backhand index pointing down

Q & A’s

1) Online donations to participating Charities received during the live campaign will be matched initially by pledge funds. Once a Charity has used all of its pledge funds, donations will be matched by Champion funds until Champion funds are exhausted or until the campaign ends, whichever is sooner.

2) Once our Charity pledge funds and Champion funds have been exhausted, our donation page on the Big Give website will clearly state that any subsequent donations will not be matched. Donors will still be encouraged to make an unmatched donation.

3) All donations made during the campaign must be made online via Big Give’s website without exception. Donations must be made via a Charity’s donation page on Big Give’s website, for the project which has been accepted into the campaign.

4) The minimum single donation that can be made during the campaign is £1. The maximum donation made during the campaign using a credit or debit card is £25,000. The largest donation made using our donation funds feature is £500,000.

5) A donation is eligible to be matched if it is made through the Charities campaign when the campaign is live and if there is sufficient funding available in the match fund for the selected Charity.

6) Once matching funds are reserved, donors will have 25 minutes to complete their donation. If the donation is not completed within 25 minutes, the Donor will be notified, and the match funding will be released back into the match fund for said Charity.

A message from Mia

Mia tells us why this campaign will help more children like her.

By |2025-12-03T17:01:09+00:00November 28th, 2025|Fundraising news, Homepage featured, Latest news, Uncategorized|Comments Off on The Big Give #ChristmasChallenge

Research Participants Needed

Help Us Understand Reading and Anxiety in Adolescents.

 

Are you a parent of an adolescent aged 11–16 who has reading difficulties and is fluent in English? Researchers at the University of Surrey are inviting parent-child pairs to take part in an online research study exploring the connection between reading difficulties and anxiety.

Why participate?
Your insights will help us better support adolescents with reading difficulties in the future.

What’s involved?

  • Parents: Complete 3 short online surveys (approx. 20 mins total) and share child’s dyslexia assessment report via a secure link.
  • Adolescents: Complete 2 short online surveys (approx. 15 mins total).

🎁 Thank you gift: Each parent and adolescent will receive a £10 Amazon voucher for participating!

📌 Eligibility:

  • Adolescents aged 11–16.
  • In secondary school.
  • Have reading difficulties.
  • Had a dyslexia assessment in the last year.
  • Both parent and adolescent must be fluent in English.

🔗 Interested?
Follow the link to take part here or mail Jovana Durica at UnRAP@surrey.ac.uk to learn more and sign up.

Let’s work together to make a difference in how we support young people with reading challenges.

By |2025-11-28T15:22:06+00:00November 28th, 2025|Research news|Comments Off on Research Participants Needed

Making Spirits Bright: Santa’s Grotto Launch Brings Joy and Support for Helen Arkell Students

Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity and children from surrounding local schools welcomed Santa and his team of elves to Squires Garden Centre, Badshot Lea, to help cut the ribbon and launch the opening of Santa’s Grotto for 2025!

Children who have benefited from the services of Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity joined from Potters Gate School in Farnham and William Cobbett School Farnham and were the first to meet Father Christmas and his helpers! Each child visited Santa and everyone came away with a special gift.

Squires Garden Centre, Badshot Lea, have chosen Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity as their Charity of the Year this year, and we are thrilled to have their support. As part of this, £1 from every ticket sold for Santa’s Grotto will be donated to Helen Arkell in the New Year. These funds will help us provide life-changing support to more people with dyslexia.

Santa’s Grotto is open until 4pm on Christmas Eve, so there’s lots of time to book your place and visit before Christmas!

To make a booking, please visit their website here. 

 

By |2025-11-25T15:20:34+00:00November 25th, 2025|Fundraising news, Homepage featured, Latest news, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Making Spirits Bright: Santa’s Grotto Launch Brings Joy and Support for Helen Arkell Students
Go to Top