Poor adult literacy skills mean that one in seven adults in England have the reading skills of a nine to eleven year old. Poor literacy skills limit job market opportunities and deny parents the opportunities to support their children’s learning.

The National Literacy Trust is dedicated to raising literacy levels across the UK. The trust works to improve the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in the UK's most disadvantaged communities, where one in three people have low levels of literacy.

The 2022 Vision for Literacy Business Pledge provides a framework for business action in the literacy space to close the literacy gap. Businesses do this by engaging their employees in the literacy challenge, supporting the drive to raise literacy levels in their local communities and contributing to the national campaign to raise literacy levels.

As a Pledge signatory, Metro Bank will engage its colleagues in the literacy challenge.

Colleagues from Metro Bank’s Peterborough store have volunteered as reading buddies and over the last two years, supported the trust’s Book Gifting Scheme at Christmas. Peterborough Metro Bank local director, Steve Stafford is participating in Peterborough Reads Development Committee which is helping to improve the literacy levels of children in Peterborough. “I got involved with the Peterborough branch of the National Literacy Trust around three years ago. What alarmed me was that one in eight children in the most disadvantaged areas of Peterborough do not own a single book at home, meaning they are four times more likely to read below the expected level for their age. It is a great charity and we are very happy to support.”

Metro Bank has just become a founding charter member of Neurodiversity in Business helping to create a more inclusive workspace for those with dyslexia.