About us
Shannon Trust transforms lives by supporting disadvantaged people to learn to read.
We are a registered charity, and work across all prisons in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to train and inspire prisoners who can read to teach those that can’t.
Each year, we help thousands of people in prison to learn to read, so that they can build a different, more positive future for themselves and their families. We also work in partnership with organisations in the community to offer reading support to those who are caught in the criminal justice system.
We provide everything needed for someone to learn to read, including our reading resource, Turning Pages. Sessions are one-to-one, take place outside formal education, and learners work at their own pace.
Our reading programme enables more people in prison to gain a fundamental skill that they need to navigate daily life. It provides prisoners with access to education, training and rehabilitative courses that will help them to address their offending, gain new skills and to move into employment.
For thousands of people in prisons, and in the community, learning to read can completely transform their life.