Today I met a really remarkable and inspirational young man called Dean Young who’s a shop supervisor in Slough, but who should have a new career as an ambassador for adult literacy! Dean is suddenly famous, after featuring in a recent episode of Mary Portas’ Secret Shopper programme on Channel 4. On air, in front of tv cameras, Dean was forced to admit he’d got to the grand old age of 31' without being able to read or write. It's something of which he’s always been ashamed, and has spent his life covering up. At school, he used to deliberately get into trouble to avoid handing in written work, or he’d use his charm to avoid confrontation.
Nowadays, he’s a Dad, and longs to be able to read his own children their bedtime stories. But all of that changed, when Mary Portas got him some tuition. Dean says he enjoyed every minute of it. He can now write notes and shop signs, and can do some basic reading – and he’s determined to go on learning. He’s got bags of personality, and strongly believes now that illiteracy is nothing to be ashamed of, and he’s rather glad the cat is out of the bag. In fact, it’s all made him a local celebrity.
The adult literacy campaign would do well to embrace Dean as their ambassador. He’s bold, he’s brave and he’s got the gift of the gab. I reckon he’d appeal to thousands of people like him who, through no particular fault, have ended up without the basic skills of reading and writing, and spend their lives hoping they’ll never be “found out”. Dean is already a bit of a star – and his bright light should be used to help others. Come on, literacy people, give him a job.
