A CAMPAIGNING Leigh mum is delighted that her dream to help dyslexic children has come true.

Last year businesswoman Shirley Longley launched a lone campaign to make Leigh a centre of excellence for children with the specific learning difficulty.

Following a months long solo crusade Shirley, a dyslexic herself, with a dyslexic son, started working under the umbrella of the Wigan and Leigh Dyslexia Association.

And this week the group has announced that the Coalfield Regeneration Trust has offered the £46,000 necessary for the project to become a reality.

The grant means that at least 40 local teachers who have signed up to take a diploma course will be trained over the next year.

They will complete an intensive course, which lecturers from the Manchester Metropolitan University, will give at the Professional Development Centre, Hindley.

Shirley said: "We are now able to pay not just for the course costs, but for supply teaching cover as well.

"This means that the course is accessible to many more schools.

"Our aim is to kickstart the process of converting Wigan into a dyslexia friendly borough.

"We hope to see fully qualified multi-sensory teachers in all of our schools over the next three to five years, so that remedial situations are never allowed to develop.

"The LEA have committed to backing our project and also promised £15,000 towards the costs. They will be heavily involved in measuring the benefits and continuing the process of change after our project ends."

The newly qualified teachers will be able to teach dyslexics and also be qualified to test for dyslexia from the age of five upwards, train their colleagues to understand the needs of the dyslexic child, and work with parents to help them help their children.

Thew first course starts on September 5 and the second on November 1.

Shirley said: "All of us, teachers, LEA and association members are very excited by the prospect of profound change within our schools.

"The Coalfield Regeneration Trust has made it possible for us to make a real difference for these children. We can't thank them enough."