Vicky Brighton, Author at Helen Arkell

Dyslexia Assessment Research Participants Needed!

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.

Your insights will help them better support adolescents with reading difficulties in the future.

As a thank you, both you and your child will receive a £10 Amazon voucher for participating!

To take part please email Jovana Durica at: UnRAP@surrey.ac.uk

More information is available in the invitation letter below.

Thank you.

UnRAP Invitation Email

By Vicky Brighton|2026-09-02T09:50:55+01:00September 2nd, 2026|Homepage featured, Latest news, Research news|Comments Off

We need 6 more people to pledge £100!

We need 6 more people to pledge £100!

We’re working hard to reach our £1,000 Big Give pledge target by 28 August, and we now need just 6 more people to pledge £100 to get us there.

Why does reaching £1,000 matter? Because we need to hit this pledge target in order to take part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge and access the match funding opportunity later in the year. Reaching the target could make a significant difference to how much we’re ultimately able to raise for our bursary projects.

A £100 pledge isn’t an immediate donation. It’s simply a commitment to give £100 after the Big Give campaign in December.

Could you be one of the 6 people we need?

Make a £100 pledge: Pledge

And if you can’t make a pledge yourself, please share this with your network – you may know someone who can.

We have until 28 August to reach our £1,000 target. Every pledge brings us one step closer.

Thank you for helping us spread the word.

💙

By Vicky Brighton|2026-08-25T11:48:48+01:00August 25th, 2026|Fundraising news, Homepage featured, Latest news|Comments Off

Summer Touch-Typing Courses

Now that the summer holidays are here and routines are a little quieter, it’s the perfect time to help your child build valuable skills while having fun. ☀️⌨️

Join us from 19–21 August 2026 for either our Introduction to Touch Typing course for beginners or our Developing Touch Typing course for children who already know the basics and want to improve their speed, accuracy and confidence.

With just 1.5 hours a day over three days, these engaging, supportive sessions are a great way to fill part of the holiday, boost confidence and help learners get ready for the new school term.

See our courses page to sign up!

By Vicky Brighton|2026-08-07T15:44:52+01:00August 7th, 2026|Course news, Homepage featured, Latest news|Comments Off

The Great Farnham Treasure Hunt

We’re taking part in The Great Farnham Treasure Hunt!

Explore Farnham this summer and discover hidden treasures along the way!

📅 27th July – 6th September

Pick up your FREE Treasure Passport from Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity, Elphicks or any participating business, collect all 12 treasure stamps as you explore the town, complete the quiz and return your passport to Elphicks to be entered into the prize draws.

Purchase something from the Helen Arkell Shop to collect a FREE bonus stamp in your passport!

A fun, free activity for all the family!

The Great Farnham Treasure Hunt!

By Vicky Brighton|2026-08-03T09:57:16+01:00August 3rd, 2026|Homepage featured, Latest news, Shop news, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Help us reach our Big Give Pledge Target

Help Us Unlock Funding Through the Big Give Christmas Challenge

We know Christmas feels a long way off, but we’re already preparing for this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge!

🎄 We’re aiming to raise £4,000 to help more children, young people and adults with dyslexia access vital support.
💛 To secure match funding, we need to reach our pledge target of £1,000 by 28 August 2026.
🎁 Pledges can be made by individuals, businesses, trusts and foundations.
✅ Pledges are only collected if our campaign is successful.
🌟 Every pledge helps unlock match funding, potentially doubling the impact of donations during the Christmas Challenge.

If you’d like to help us support more people with dyslexia, we’d love to hear from you.

Learn more or make a pledge here.

Together, we can help more people with dyslexia discover their strengths and achieve their potential. 💙

By Vicky Brighton|2026-07-23T15:17:11+01:00July 23rd, 2026|Fundraising news, Homepage featured, Latest news|Comments Off

London Landmarks Half April 2027 – Waiting List Open!

We have opened a waiting list for those hoping to take part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon in 2027 for Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity.

Whether you’re running for a personal challenge, to beat your personal best or supporting dyslexia, the London Landmarks Half Marathon promises an inspiring and memorable experience in one of the world’s greatest cities.

Sign up here!

By Vicky Brighton|2026-07-22T10:39:59+01:00July 22nd, 2026|Fundraising news, Homepage featured, Latest news, Uncategorized|Comments Off

‘Go All In’ with our Summer Reading Tips!

This year is the National Year of Reading.

To help encourage a love of reading, Helen Arkell is pleased to share our top reading tips for the Summer Holidays!

For children with dyslexia, building confidence is just as important as building skills. Whether you’re practising phonics, reading together, exploring graphic novels, listening to audiobooks, or using assistive technology, you’re helping your child develop a positive relationship with reading.

Not every child learns to read in the same way – and that’s okay.

If reading feels hard, try a different approach. Audiobooks, graphic novels, or reading together all count as reading and can help build confidence.

Remember…

Children who struggle with reading often work much harder than we realise.

Reading can be:

More effortful

More tiring

More frustrating

A little patience goes a long way.

Encourage, Don’t Pressure

The goal isn’t just to create good readers…It’s to create children who enjoy stories.

A love of books often comes before confident reading.

This Summer we will share useful tips to help your child keep their interest alive. Week-by-week we will share some simple strategies that encourage reading before the new term begins.

Wishing all our families a happy, relaxing summer filled with stories, laughter, and plenty of opportunities to discover the joy of reading!

Following along here and on our social media to learn more. 📚

By Vicky Brighton|2026-07-17T12:36:20+01:00July 17th, 2026|Latest news, Team blog, Uncategorized|Comments Off

2027 Double TCS London Marathon Ballot Places

Got a ballot place for the 2027 Double TCS London Marathon?

Use your ballot place to run for Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity and turn every mile into life-changing support for people with dyslexia.

Register your place with us and join Team Helen Arkell. 💙 Contact us to find out more: fundraising@helenarkell.org.uk

By Vicky Brighton|2026-07-10T10:23:00+01:00July 10th, 2026|Fundraising news, Homepage featured, Latest news|Comments Off

Young Entrepreneur Proves Doubters Wrong

Two years ago, Lowery came home from school devastated after being told by teachers that she would not succeed in life if she didn’t pass her GCSEs in English and Maths.

Lowery had an assessment and took the Helen Arkell summer touch typing course. Her mother believes the assessment helped her get into her secondary school.

Determined to prove her teachers wrong, Lowery and her family focused on her strengths. As she loves making jewellery and keyrings, she started selling her creations at local fairs. Over the past 18 months, Lowery, who is autistic, has grown tremendously in confidence, learning to talk to customers, handle money and understand the basics of running a business, including costs, profit and reinvesting in her venture.

What began as a response to comments has become a wonderful success story, showing that there is more than one path to achievement and that belief, perseverance and opportunity can make all the difference.

Last weekend she kindly gave half the profits from her stall at the Petersfield Community Fair to Helen Arkell; a generous donation to help other children just like her.

Our thanks to Lowery and her family for all their support.

By Vicky Brighton|2026-07-07T17:07:02+01:00July 7th, 2026|Fundraising news, Homepage featured, Latest news|Comments Off

On Target to Change Lives with the Theo Paphitis Retail Group

A huge thank you to Theo Paphitis, Ryman, and the wider Theo Paphitis Retail Group (TPRG), with their partners and suppliers, for the annual Theo Pathitis Charitable Trust Clay Shoot 2026 earlier in June.

A record-breaking £100,000 was raised for the four charity partners: Starlight Children’s Foundation– UK, British Dyslexia Association, CoppaFeel! and ourselves.

The event marked a powerful display of generosity and collaboration, with funds raised set to make a meaningful difference to individuals with dyslexia. The Clay Shoot funds will help education professionals access our Supporting Learners CPD Accredited course so they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to support dyslexic learners in the classroom. This helps these learners to access the curriculum, achieve their goals and thrive.

Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity is proud to be part of such a dedicated and impactful initiative.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supported this event,” said Helen Arkell CEO, Julie Bentley. “It is an honour to be part of something that brings real hope and lasting change to the lives of so many. We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you for such an amazing day at the Shoot. TPRG truly are an incredible organisation, and we feel very fortunate to have them as a partner. The amount of money raised, not just at the Shoot, but across all fundraising efforts, is nothing short of inspiring. The difference this makes to organisations like ours cannot be underestimated, and we are deeply grateful for everything they do”.

By Vicky Brighton|2026-06-30T17:40:53+01:00June 30th, 2026|CEO blog, Fundraising news, Latest news, Team blog, TPRG, Uncategorized|Comments Off

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