Latest news | Helen Arkell

Signed ‘Max Magic’ books now available in our shop!

We are delighted to announce that we are now selling signed copies of the Max Magic trilogy, written by Farnham author Tom Easton and TV’s Magician Stephen Mullhern.

These books are now available in our bookshop and make the perfect Christmas present for any young reader. The magical stories for children follow the story of Max, a budding young magician, inspired by Stephen Mulhern’s incredible story of his journey to become a magician, performer and TV star.

“These engaging books are perfect for sparking children’s imaginations. Thank you for presenting these in a dyslexia-friendly format for our learners,” said Claire Harvey, Head of Education at Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity.

We stock all three books in the Max Magic collection, which you can order online or find them at our Farnham Centre.

Watch the special message from author Tom here and stop at our shop for more ‘magical’ stocking fillers for all ages this Christmas!

By Helen Arkell|2024-11-15T16:04:35+00:00November 15th, 2024|Latest news, Shop news|0 Comments

Goals for Good: Community Spirit Shines as Farnham FC Hosts Dyslexia Awareness Week Charity Game

On Saturday, October 12th, Farnham FC took on Southall FC in a memorable match that united local football fans for an important cause: supporting dyslexia awareness. Held as part of Dyslexia Awareness Week 2024, the charity match successfully raised £100 for the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity, which will go on to help many more individuals with dyslexia through support, resources, and advocacy.

This year’s Dyslexia Awareness Week theme, “What’s Your Story?” resonated deeply throughout the event, drawing football fans and community members together to share stories, raise awareness, and celebrate the vital work done by Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity.

Victoria Brighton, Individual Giving Officer at Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity, expressed gratitude for the community’s support. “We’re deeply grateful to Farnham FC and all the supporters who came together to raise awareness and funds for dyslexia on the day,” she said. “Every contribution helps us continue our mission of supporting individuals with dyslexia.”

The match at Farnham FC was part of a series of events organized for Dyslexia Awareness Week (October 7-13). Other highlights included community gatherings at The Shed in Bordon and the Tes SEND Show in London. The week of activities culminated on October 13th with the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London, where six inspiring runners took on the challenge to raise essential funds for the charity.

By Marcy Rice|2024-10-29T10:16:43+00:00October 29th, 2024|Fundraising news, Latest news|0 Comments

Exploring the Impact of Dyslexia on Sleep: UCL’s Groundbreaking Study and How You Can Help

University College London (UCL) is embarking on a crucial study to understand the impact of dyslexia on sleep. This follows a groundbreaking discovery in their recent research, which found that 66% of children with dyslexia experience clinical sleep issues. Given that sleep is essential for brain development, mental health, and overall well-being, UCL’s latest research aims to uncover how dyslexia might be affecting sleep across all age groups.

Why This Research Matters

Sleep plays a central role in cognitive function, emotional regulation, and physical health. For those with dyslexia, difficulties in learning and processing information are common, yet little is understood about the additional challenges they may face related to sleep. UCL’s recent findings have raised significant questions about how widespread these sleep issues are, and how they might influence cognitive performance, mental health, and day-to-day life.

In children with dyslexia, sleep disturbances can further complicate learning challenges, making academic and personal growth even more difficult. If similar sleep issues persist into adulthood, understanding and addressing these disruptions could be transformative for individuals with dyslexia at all stages of life.

How You Can Help

UCL is now seeking participants both with and without dyslexia to take part in a short online questionnaire about their sleep behaviours. The input from a wide range of participants will help researchers pinpoint patterns, enabling them to take a closer look at how dyslexia and sleep intersect.

By participating, you’ll be contributing to a vital research project that could lead to better support, improved sleep interventions, and a deeper understanding of dyslexia’s impact on mental and physical health.

Interested in helping out?
Follow this link to participate and be part of this meaningful study.

Thank you for your support in advancing our knowledge of the Impact of Dyslexia on Sleep!

By Marcy Rice|2024-10-29T09:46:12+00:00October 29th, 2024|Latest news, Research news|0 Comments

Half-term ceramics workshop

Seen The Unseen: Ceramics

Join us for this half-term workshop led by UCA Surrey Galleries in collaboration with 318 Ceramics and in association with the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity.

The project aims to develop awareness of invisible disabilities, specifically dyslexia. Generously funded by Farnham Town Council Grants for school holiday activities.

The workshops invite students, families, and friends to create clay discs textured with marks reflecting the achievements and occupations of people with dyslexia. The discs will have the names and occupations of these individuals stamped on them. Some discs will have no marks to represent those who are still unaware they have dyslexia.

The project will consist of five 3-hour making workshops for families in Farnham over the October half-term holiday. 318 Ceramics will provide expert ceramic tuition and guidance for the workshops, fire and glaze the works, and produce the final wall hanging.

The clay discs developed during the workshops will culminate in the creation of a dyslexia art installation to be displayed at the entrance of the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity for students, young people, families and everyone in Farnham to enjoy.

Book your free place here: Booking form

Dates: 28^th October – 1^st November 2024

Workshop Locations:

Monday 28 – Tuesday 29 October, 10am-1pm at UCA
Wednesday 30 – Thursday 31 October ,10am-1pm at Helen Arkell Centre Courtyard, (weather permitting; wet weather contingency – UCA, with signage and re-direction to UCA)
Friday 1 November, 10am-1pm at 318 Ceramics

Cost: The event is FREE open to all students and families

Workshop facilitators: 318 Ceramics tutors Kathy Mason & Sian Van Driel

UCA Surrey Galleries Curator: Dr Loucia Manopoulou

For further information, please contact gallery@uca.ac.uk

By Helen Arkell|2024-10-22T13:09:38+01:00October 22nd, 2024|Fundraising news, Latest news|0 Comments

Dyslexic readers needed for an eye tracking study!

Can bolding text benefit reading in dyslexic and non-dyslexic readers?

A team of researchers at the University College London are looking for participants to help in a study aimed at understanding the reading patterns of individuals with dyslexia.

This research will help better understand the cognitive processes that underlie reading. They will use an eye-tracker to do this. By monitoring readers’ eye movements, you can learn a great deal about the moment-to-moment decisions made by readers. Reading is a vital skill in modern society and finding out more about how we achieve this amazing skill can help us better understand how to teach reading or to help those who struggle. Participants will be asked to attend a single session lasting between 1-1.5 hours at 26 Bedford Way, University College London, WC1H 0AP

During the session you will be asked to:

Complete several tasks measuring general language skills.
Read short extracts of text off a computer screen while your eye movements are recorded.

To be eligible you must:

Have a dyslexia diagnosis and be aged between 18-40 years old.
Have native-level English proficiency (or spoken English for 15+ years).
Have Normal or corrected-to-normal vision (with glasses or preferably contact
lenses).
Have no history of significant hearing loss or neurological disease.

Participants will be compensated for their time by receiving either £9/hour or 1 Credit/hour and will be helping grow our understanding in how best to help those with dyslexia, learn in the best way possible.

Please contact Haibei Wang if you are interested in taking part in this study:

Haibei.wang.23@ucl.ac.uk

+44 (0)7503986873

By Marcy Rice|2024-07-01T11:54:26+01:00July 1st, 2024|Latest news, Research news|0 Comments

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