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 ÂŁ1 for ÂŁ1 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 ÂŁ1. The maximum donation made during the campaign using a credit or debit card is ÂŁ25,000. The largest donation made using our donation funds feature is ÂŁ500,000.

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

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

THRIVE: Neurodivergence at Work Survey

Help the UK Young Academy improve workplaces for neurodivergent people 

The UK Young Academy — a network of early-career professionals working for positive change — is running a survey on how UK workplaces can better support dyslexic and other neurodivergent people.

You don’t need a formal diagnosis to participate.

All neurotypes welcome.

Whether you’re dyslexic, autistic, have ADHD, Tourette’s, or another form of neurodivergence — your voice matters.

Help shape more inclusive, supportive workplaces across the UK by sharing your experience.

Take the survey:

 https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/THRIVEUKYA/

By |2025-11-18T10:22:05+00:00November 18th, 2025|Latest news, Research news, Uncategorized|Comments Off on THRIVE: Neurodivergence at Work Survey

Congratulations Caroline!

Congratulations to our amazing supporter Caroline who successfully completed the New York Marathon earlier this month, raising funds for dyslexia awareness.
This is the second time Caroline has run the marathon, both for ourselves and The Children’s Dyslexia Center of New Jersey.
Caroline completed the course in 4 hours and 47 minutes, inspired by her son George, who is thriving thanks to the support of specialist charities.
And as if one marathon wasn’t enough, Caroline is doing it all again (this side of the pond!) running the London Marathon in April 2026, for Helen Arkell.
She’s truly inspiring!
Read her full story and support her fundraising here 👇
Inspired by Caroline’s story? Take on a challenge for dyslexia!
Visit our events page to find a challenge!
By |2025-11-14T15:07:36+00:00November 14th, 2025|Fundraising news, Homepage featured, Latest news, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Congratulations Caroline!

Support Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity at Fleet Half Marathon 2025

Take Part in the Fleet Half Marathon and Support Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity!

Are you ready to lace up your running shoes and take on a challenge? The Fleet Half Marathon is just around the corner! This fantastic event is the perfect springboard for the London Marathon or other spring races. With its fairly flat course and cheering crowds along the route, it promises a memorable experience for every runner.

📅 When? March 16th, 2024
📍 Where? Fleet, Hampshire

Why Run with Team Helen Arkell?

By taking part in the Fleet Half Marathon, you’ll be running for more than just the finish line – you’ll be helping us support children, young people, and adults with dyslexia. Every step you take will help change lives! Here’s how you can get involved:

Secure your charity spot today!

  • A ÂŁ20 non-refundable deposit secures your place.
  • Commit to raising a minimum sponsorship of ÂŁ100 to make a real difference.
  • Register now!

As part of Team Helen Arkell, you’ll receive:

  • A personalised Helen Arkell technical top to wear with pride.
  • Expert support and advice to help you prepare.
  • A team cheering you on every step of the way!

Don’t miss out register for a charity place now and start your journey with Team Helen Arkell.

Have Your Own Place?

If you’ve already secured your own place in the race, we’d still love to have you on Team Helen Arkell! There’s no minimum sponsorship requirement – just raise as much as you can, and we’ll support you along the way. Every penny counts!

Important Details

  • All participants must be 17 years or older on race day.
  • For more information about the race itself, visit the Fleet Half Marathon website.

Join Us Today!

Whether you’re chasing a personal best, running for a personal reason, or simply want to be part of an incredible community event, the Fleet Half Marathon is the place to be this March. Let’s make a difference together – join Team Helen Arkell and help us create brighter futures for people with dyslexia.

Register for your charity place now: https://helenarkell.org.uk/events/fleet-half-marathon-2025/

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at enquiries@helenarkell.org.uk or by calling 01252 792 400

Thank you for your support!

By |2025-03-20T14:51:13+00:00January 6th, 2025|Fundraising news, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Support Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity at Fleet Half Marathon 2025

Case studies needed!

Author Margaret Rooke is bringing out a book to inspire secondary school students with dyslexia, to show them that life after school can be so much better.

The book will include interviews with young people who’ve left school, aged 17-26, Everyone who takes part will be able to check everything that’s written to make sure they’re happy with it.

Margaret wants to make sure there is a true diversity of contributors to the book, so that readers can relate to it well. She needs to include more young people from a wider variety of ethnic backgrounds, for instance African, Caribbean, Asian, Latin, Greek and Turkish, She also would like to include a few more who have jobs some wouldn’t view as professional or impressive, but they feel satisfied by their work.

The book will be a sister book to Dyslexia is My Superpower (Most of the Time) and Creative, Successful, Dyslexic. It will be published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers and available worldwide.

If you are able to help or have any questions, please do contact her on margaretrooke@btinternet.com

By |2024-06-26T12:41:45+01:00June 26th, 2024|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Case studies needed!

Brendan Wignall

We are very sad to hear about the untimely death of Brendan Wignall. Brendan was Headmaster of Ellesmere College and the long-standing Chair of CReSTeD (The Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexia Pupils), an organisation with which we have close ties. He will be very sadly missed and our thoughts are with his family and friends.

By |2024-07-23T16:37:04+01:00January 29th, 2024|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Brendan Wignall

New service – parental coaching for children with anxiety

Children with dyslexia often experience anxiety. For a parent, this can be very stressful. Our new service is a one-to-one, tailored consultation between parents and our professional coaches. These coaches are registered with the Association for Coaching and with the British Psychology Society and they will provide expert support for you to become confident that you can support your child in overcoming anxiety and building self-esteem.

Find out more here.

By |2024-07-23T16:38:43+01:00December 26th, 2023|Uncategorized|Comments Off on New service – parental coaching for children with anxiety

Dyslexia – Uniquely You

During Dyslexia Awareness Week 2023, we wanted to help people understand what dyslexia is. The theme was Uniquely You.

We wanted to celebrate what makes people with dyslexia unique so we asked you to share your own unique dyslexia story.

Here are some of the amazing video responses:

If you missed out, you can still take part! Make a short video, lasting no longer than one minute and email your video to: events@helenarkell.org.uk

Thank you!

You can keep up-to-date with everything that is going on by signing up for our e-newsletter.

By |2024-07-23T16:41:12+01:00November 15th, 2023|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Dyslexia – Uniquely You

Professional Tutoring Partnership Report

In the midst of the pandemic Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity joined forces with Real Training, the Dyslexia Guild, Patoss, Dyslexia Action and the British Dyslexia Association to help over 1,000 learners across the UK, who were in particular need of help and were falling behind. We called ourselves the Professional Tutoring Partnership for the purpose of this joint project.

During the project we collected ‘before and after’ data which has now been analysed and you can see it here: https://tutorpartnership.com/

Highlights are the fact that our specialist teachers succeeded in significantly enhancing the learners’ engagement with school, as well as improving their learning behaviours.

We are proud that Helen Arkell took part in this project at a time when the country was really struggling, and the effects upon disadvantaged children were particularly noticeable. We are also proud of how our respective organisations came together to work as one united team, at a time of crisis in the world at large.

By |2024-07-23T16:41:23+01:00November 15th, 2023|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Professional Tutoring Partnership Report
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