Listen to this story Members can listen to an AI-generated audio version of this article. 1.0x Audio narration uses an AI-generated voice. 0:00 0:00 Become a member to listen to this article Subscribe Without literacy, numeracy and digital skills, many people struggle to access opportunities most of us take for granted. Nowhere is this challenge more clearly felt than in our prisons, where around two-thirds of people struggle to read. In September, adult education charity WEA held its essential skills round table in Parliament as part of its Lifelong Learning Labs campaign, which is bringing people and organisations together to build a stronger case for a national lifelong learning strategy. Shannon Trust is one of the many cross-sector organisations supporting the change. We work in prisons across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to help people improve their reading and numeracy. The impact of this support can be seen both in the scale of learning and in what it enables people to do next. In 2025, 11,380 learners engaged with Shannon Trust’s reading and numeracy programmes, taking part in more than 142,000 learning sessions. Shannon Trust trains people who can read to support those who need help developing their skills. Many of the people we support have spent years believing education isn’t for them. Peer-led learning works because learners see someone like themselves succeeding. There are no exams or classrooms. Instead, mentors work one-to-one with learners, progressing at the learner’s own pace. Learning from someone with shared lived experience helps remove stigma, builds trust and creates a supportive environment where people feel able to succeed. Mentors develop valuable communication, leadership and coaching skills that can support them beyond prison. We know that learning to read changes lives. It opens opportunities and gives people more control over their future. Many people in prison have had negative experiences of education. Some left school without literacy skills, often hiding their skills deficit due to a lack of confidence to learn altogether. Research from the Ministry of Justice has consistently shown a link between engagement with education and reduced re-offending, highlighting the importance of these foundations. If lifelong learning is going to work, it has to reach people who have had the worst experiences of education and who are least likely to engage through traditional routes. Too often, we talk about essential skills as something people pick up at one point in their lives. In reality, they need ongoing opportunities to learn and progress. Essential skills should be seen as a lifelong investment, not a one-off educational intervention. Reading provides the foundation on which further learning is built. Without it, accessing vocational training, qualifications or employment becomes more difficult. With it, people can continue their education, secure work, strengthen relationships with their families and contribute positively to their communities. This work is taking place against a challenging backdrop. While the overall prison education budget in England has increased in cash terms, the Ministry of Justice has acknowledged that inflationary pressures and changes associated with the new Prisoner Education Service have contributed to a reduction of around 20–25 per cent in core education delivery. Published commissioning figures indicate that planned core education hours across 94 prisons are around 25 per cent lower from April 2026 than before the new contracts began in October 2025. At a time when education provision is under pressure, ensuring people can access essential literacy and numeracy skills is more important than ever. No single organisation can achieve this alone, which is why we’re supporting the WEA’s Lifelong Learning Labs campaign. Almost half of WEA learners left school with low or no qualifications, leaving them furthest from opportunity. The campaign was launched in February 2026 to gather evidence, listen and challenge assumptions to ultimately build a stronger case for a national lifelong learning strategy. If we’re serious about improving essential skills in the UK, we must focus on those facing the greatest barriers to learning, such as those supported through the Shannon Trust and the WEA. Read the WEA Lifelong Learning Labs campaign interim report here. The final report will be released in December 2026.
Zainab Nigoumi 20 October 2026 ALL of society, in a myriad of ways, befits from increased learning and confidence in navigating the complexities of the world. Even just an individual!!! Access to the written thoughts, information and knowledge of others as well as their creative imagination is wonderfully empowering and inspiring. Frees the spirit and builds aspirations. I would LOVE to become a mentor/ tutor in prison setting. I am a qualified teacher ( early years), and adult literacy tutor. Very wide experience in designing and facilitating community and school based Family Learning projects. I have always been child centred in my approach. Building on enthusiasms and strengths of individual learners to ensure relevance and steady progress. Purposeful learning is the key to maintaining interest and willingness to face challenges. How can I share my ideas with the Shannon Trust? I’m especially interested in working with parents so they can more effectively and easily communicate with their children and families on ‘the outside’. I’d inject creativity and imagination in how that could be done! It’s not just about paper and pencil. Literacy is far more than that! I would avoid dullard worksheets off the peg, as I would design the type of exercises that suit the individual/ small group/ correspondents. For example…. Prisoners in different prisons could become postcard pen pals? Or hook up with someone in the local community through arrangement/ permissions??? Make storybooks and tapes?…. The possibilities are endless! I would be interested in volunteering to do this. I am myself disabled ( main issue is that I need to use a mobility scooter). Contact me???? Zainab Nigoumi. Frome. Somerset.