ABOUT
Jeanette Haigh (1948—2021) founded the Bolsover Reading Group in 2013 in order to teach literacy skills to adults. Whilst a volunteer at the Freedom Community Project café Jeanette was approached by a food-bank user distraught that his local FE college reading class had shut down. With experience as a primary school teacher, and a passion for reading, Jeanette met with the Freedom Project Director that same day to set up a class, and the rest is history. Jeanette sadly passed away in June 2021. The reading group still meet each Tuesday with the guidance of volunteer and retired-teacher Dave Wilson.
Freedom Community Project is a charity that was set up in 2008 to support people who are struggling with poverty in Bolsover. Since then the project has grown to cover the North East Midlands and Yorkshire with 10 support centres. The organisation has a small staff team who enable a large team of volunteers to deliver support across the area. fcgroup.org.uk
Freedom Community Project is a charity that was set up in 2008 to support people who are struggling with poverty in Bolsover. Since then the project has grown to cover the North East Midlands and Yorkshire with 10 support centres. The organisation has a small staff team who enable a large team of volunteers to deliver support across the area. fcgroup.org.uk
QUOTES FROM CLASS MEMBERS AND TUTORS
Every Tuesday I wake up thinking great, it’s reading group today. I love it. I love doing the preparation, matching the learning to each student’s needs. The progress made by students is staggering. The students and tutors are the most wonderful, supportive group of people you could ever wish to meet, and we are famed for our laughter!
— Jeanette |
I love to come to reading class and look forward to it each week. The people are all nice and if you are worried everyone is supportive and helpful. We play games that involve reading and writing. We have cups of tea and biscuits and sometimes cake when Jeanette bakes. We’ve had outings to places such as Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Bolsover Castle.
— Linda |
I love coming to reading group as we have such a close connection. It is very rewarding to see people progress and gain confidence. It was interesting to hear about people’s work experiences and how these have affected them. My life has been given a purpose after retirement and I feel close to the group who understand each other.
— Jane |
I love reading group on Tuesday mornings. We have a good laugh, we chat and help each other with problems. We are all friends and really appreciate the tutors. I have good feelings about the group and it makes me happy.
— Stephen |
After 34 years teaching the last thing I wanted was more teaching! But I said I’d help and quickly realized I had made the right decision. The tutors are kind, caring and patient and offer so much of themselves to those they support. The people we teach each have amazing back stories. Courageously they join us, telling strangers how they want so much to improve their reading and writing. For me such people deserve a medal of the highest order. I count my inclusion in the reading group to be a great blessing.
— Dave |
At 18 I was a carer for my dad a long time, my mum had left him. I got payment for looking after dad. At 18 I would have liked to have had another job. The rest of my family would not care for him. I lost my mum in 2018, she was 72 when she died. Now, aged 50 I live on my own. I would like a job and am on a course with Citizens Advice. I feel like the reading class has benefited me. It has given me confidence and friends. Working with Esther was interesting and helped me realise what valuable work I had done caring for my parents.
— Eileen |
I am very happy that my reading is improving and I am feeling more confident to read in bigger groups. With Esther we have made books, written poems and gone on trips. I organize the tea for everyone in the break.
— Declan It was very difficult going to the class and admit about me reading to other people. However, people are very friendly and this gives me confidence. — Ian |
The class helps me with my reading and spelling. I enjoy the games and have a good laugh. Everyone is so friendly and supportive. I’ve made new friends and gone on trips. This has all given me more confidence.
— Liz I look forward to coming to reading group. It is relaxed, there is no pressure and the students learn and keep coming. The ideas the students have are really good and so are the discussions. They’ve written poems on all sorts of subjects, Some serious, others funny, all of them fantastic. — Barbara |
WEBSITE
This website was set-up by artist Esther Johnson who started volunteering with the group in 2019 during the making of her film a ROLE to PLAY. Part of arts project WORK (see below), the film was made in direct response to the increasing numbers of unemployment and zero hour contracts across the UK. Esther worked with Bolsover Reading Group members, and Freedom Community Project food bank users, volunteers and staff, to explore the realities and struggles of contemporary working life in post-industrial Bolsover, a Derbyshire constituency where coal was once king.
WORK
a ROLE to PLAY (2019) was produced as part of WORK, an arts project commissioning artists to make films that explore ideas and realities of what ‘work’ means for the way we live today. WORK is a collaboration between five Midlands arts organisations: Animate Projects, QUAD, Fermynwoods Contemporary Art, Junction Arts, and Vivid Projects. Each organisation worked with an artist, helping them engage workers in the process of making their film. The artists are Dryden Goodwin, Jenny Holt, Esther Johnson, and Adam Lewis Jacob. They made their films in Birmingham, Bolsover Derby and Thrapston. workprojects.org.uk
Esther Johnson partnered with Junction Arts for WORK, an organisation that helps communities facing social barriers such as poverty, poor health, and low aspirations to create a better future through the arts. Their festivals, workshops, and events give people the opportunity to be creative, learn new skills and build stronger communities. They are committed to working with communities to co-create magical and memorable arts experiences that empower people, improve wellbeing and inspire change. junctionarts.org
This website was set-up by artist Esther Johnson who started volunteering with the group in 2019 during the making of her film a ROLE to PLAY. Part of arts project WORK (see below), the film was made in direct response to the increasing numbers of unemployment and zero hour contracts across the UK. Esther worked with Bolsover Reading Group members, and Freedom Community Project food bank users, volunteers and staff, to explore the realities and struggles of contemporary working life in post-industrial Bolsover, a Derbyshire constituency where coal was once king.
WORK
a ROLE to PLAY (2019) was produced as part of WORK, an arts project commissioning artists to make films that explore ideas and realities of what ‘work’ means for the way we live today. WORK is a collaboration between five Midlands arts organisations: Animate Projects, QUAD, Fermynwoods Contemporary Art, Junction Arts, and Vivid Projects. Each organisation worked with an artist, helping them engage workers in the process of making their film. The artists are Dryden Goodwin, Jenny Holt, Esther Johnson, and Adam Lewis Jacob. They made their films in Birmingham, Bolsover Derby and Thrapston. workprojects.org.uk
Esther Johnson partnered with Junction Arts for WORK, an organisation that helps communities facing social barriers such as poverty, poor health, and low aspirations to create a better future through the arts. Their festivals, workshops, and events give people the opportunity to be creative, learn new skills and build stronger communities. They are committed to working with communities to co-create magical and memorable arts experiences that empower people, improve wellbeing and inspire change. junctionarts.org