Hartlepool Literacy Task Force to be created to tackle issue
The Council is urging people to back a major push to boost adult literacy
Last updated 1st May 2025
Businesses and organisations in Hartlepool are being urged to get involved in a major new drive to boost adult literacy.
The Council says 1 in 3 adults in the town is classed as 'functionally illiterate' with a reading age of 7 to 9.
To tackle the issue, the authority plans to create a Hartlepool Literacy Task Force in partnership with local firms and organisations.
Councillor Pamela Hargreaves, Chair of the Council’s Economic Growth and Regeneration Committee, said: “People with low levels of literacy can struggle to cope with a range of day-to-day tasks, including helping their children with homework, understanding official letters, reading labels on medication and filling out job applications.
“As a result, they often experience social isolation, stigma and exclusion, poor health, welfare dependency, a lack of social cohesion, a higher level of crime and a lack of self-worth. They can become trapped in a cycle of poverty with limited life opportunities.
“We all want more for Hartlepool residents and improving literacy and numeracy is the first step to supporting people to reach their full potential. Bringing about positive change is vital if Hartlepool and its residents are to thrive.
“Boosting literacy levels requires a long-term, partnership approach so I hope as many businesses and organisations as possible will take part in the summit.”
The Council will also be developing a literacy strategy setting out its ambition for every resident, regardless of their age, and a borough-wide literacy plan. It will also be appointing Literacy Champions in each Council department to tackle the barriers faced by residents with low literacy levels, including reading Council information aimed at the public.
Jonathan Brash, MP for Hartlepool, said: "Far too many of our adult population don't have the literacy skills that they need and what that means is they've got all of these insurmountable barriers to engage with society, getting the skills to get into employment, to have a fulfilling and healthy life and these are things that we have to try and fix for people.
"Hartlepool's future is one of investment, jobs and reindustrialisation. There's exciting things happening, but we have to have the workforce here to make the most of it, so ensuring we have a literate population is incredibly important to that goal.
"It's very easy to take for granted having literacy skills. It's very easy to take for granted looking around the place, opening a bill, signing a contract and being able to read what it is that you're dealing with. And to not have that, it must genuinely be a scary experience. The world is a scarier place if you can't access these things.
"There's a lot of stigma attached to this. It's incredibly hard for someone to come forward and say 'I struggle to read.' It's a difficult thing to say. What we've got to do is put businesses, institutions, public services and community organisations all working together with a very simple message: If you need help, Hartlepool's here for you.
"I think one of the mistakes we've made in the past is saying it's all about having a GCSE in English and that's fine for some people, but the reality is, you don't have to have a GCSE in English to be literate. You don't have to have a GCSE to understand the world around you. The key here is about the skills, the skills that allow you to unlock your potential. That's what we have to ensure people have at all times."