Lil' Chris runs 20k for Ablaze

Speed Communications’ chosen charity, Ablaze exists to tackle inequality of opportunity for young people in the West of England region. Research suggests that this inequality has increased due to reduced access to education for school pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds during lockdown.

To help Ablaze bridge this gap, we’re tracking a collective 100km on the weekend of 19/20 June, just before lockdown restrictions lift across England. The distance can be covered by running, walking, cycling, swimming or rowing.

Recent estimates show that over 70 million children worldwide will not acquire basic literacy skills by their 10th birthday in 2021, a critical milestone at which children transition from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn’. This has been exacerbated by the impact of Covid-19.

In the UK, government figures indicate that 200,000 students in their final year of primary school now face the reality of starting secondary school with low literacy: an increase of 30,000 students over the past year. The Sutton Trust’s Learning in Lockdown report (Jan 2021) also revealed that 84% of teachers believe COVID-19 has further widened the attainment gap between pupils from different social backgrounds.

Alongside our regular volunteer reading scheme, the Speed 100k will help fund Ablaze to close this gap for the most disadvantaged pupils in the West of England.