Symbiotic partnerships

Dyslexia Scotland relies on the continued support of its members, ambassadors, staff, volunteers and of course many organisations to help us achieve our goals.

One such important partnership has developed with Edinburgh City Libraries.

Sarah Forteath, Business Development Manager, Library & Information Services at City of Edinburgh Council writes:

‘Edinburgh City Libraries and Dyslexia Scotland have developed a strong partnership since Dyslexia Awareness Week launched in Central Library in Edinburgh in November 2010.

The success of the partnership is based on the mutual benefit to both organisations – through our increased knowledge of dyslexia we have been able to develop our reading services to incorporate the UK’s first reading group for children with dyslexia.

We have been able to encourage many more young people with their parents and families into our libraries by using Dyslexia Scotland’s host of fabulous ambassadors to launch events –  as well as their President Sir Jackie Stewart and Kenny Logan!

In turn we host a series of creative and entertaining events for free in our libraries for Dyslexia Awareness Week every year and encourage several hundreds of people to get involved in reading for pleasure.

In the next 12 months we aim to roll out several more Dyslexia Chatterbooks reading groups across the city too!

Our partnership is of great interest to other professionals and I’ve been asked to speak about it at a Spotlight at the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP Umbrella 2013) in Manchester on 3 July.’

To find out what events are available in The Edinburgh area visit www.edinburghreads.eventbrite.co.uk.  Details of events taking place across Scotland during Dyslexia Awareness Week will be published soon.