Learning Direct- the free telephone helpline that helps with career and learning opportunities is supporting a new learning initiativecalled Brookie Basics.
Television is sometimes accused of stopping people from reading. But Channel 4 and Mersey TV are using the popular soap Brookside to encourage people to read by weaving storylines involving literacy into the life of 'The Close'.
The Brookside Literacy Project's aim is to reach out to adults who have reading problems and want to improve their skills. Brookside has, on average, six million viewers a week and so has the potential to make a real difference to an estimated 1 in 6 of the population who have difficulties in reading.

By ringing Learning Direct adult learners can get information about their nearest 'Brookie Basics' centre or give them the opportunity to arrange for a centre tutor to contact them direct. View the Learning Direct website on