Youngsters struggling with their reading skills have shown remarkable signs of improvement due to a Bradford literacy project.

Reading Matters for Life, sponsored by the Telegraph & Argus, places volunteers in schools to help teenagers struggling with literacy skills.

These volunteers spend a couple of hours a week, over a ten-week period, reading with the 11 to 16-year-olds.

Josie Hervey, project co-ordinator at Hanson School, said: "Many of the kids have improved by more than a year in their reading tests in just ten weeks. That is a tremendous achievement.

"The pupils have been saying how much more confident they feel in lessons. Some of them would never read out in class but now they volunteer and that is helping them across all subjects.

"All credit must go to the volunteers who have shown such dedication."

Volunteer Richard Sharp, 21, a former pupil at Hanson, said the youngsters had been really enthusiastic.

"They definitely came out of their shells during the sessions which made them more confident in other lessons as well," he said. "If they have the confidence to speak out then they won't sit silent at the back of the class if they don't understand.

"The benefits to the children are great and, for a couple of hours a week, becoming a volunteer is one of the best things I have done."

Lorraine Barrass, the charity's project manager for Bradford, said: "We have had a tremendous response to the T&A articles and we have a good group of people ready to be trained and placed in schools.

"A number of schools have shown an interest but we need to take it one step further and get more on board to take some of the new volunteers.

"If there are any interested schools I would be more than happy to fill them in on the project."

For more details telephone Lorraine Barrass on (01274) 372200.