Beyond Words won’t be posting on X (which used to be called Twitter) after this year.
We’ve loved sharing stories and making friends here, but X has changed, and we don’t think it’s the best place to talk anymore.
If you still want to hear from us, you can find us on Threads, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter!
Last week we were delighted to hold the launch of our brand new picture story, Joe and Julie Stop Smoking.
This fantastic new word-free book offers accessible support for people with learning disabilities, or who don’t read words, who want to stop smoking, opening conversations around quitting.
We were joined by lots of the team who created the book, as well as self-advocates from our Book Clubs, our co-trainer programme at City Lit, people working to promote stopping smoking, and more.
Our Deal Book Club have already read the book online, prompting one of their group to try to give up smoking again, with the support of their Book Club friends.
Thank you to everyone who came to our launch and made it so special.
Want to help us keep creating books like these? Donate £15 - about the cost of a pack of cigarettes.
Books Beyond Words, the UK’s charity for empowering people with learning disabilities through accessible picture stories, launched Joe and Julie Stop Smoking at the Foundry, London SE11 5RR, on 17 October 2024.
There are approximately 1.5 million people in the UK who have a learning disability. A 2013 study into premature deaths found that, on average, women with learning disabilities die a staggering 20 years sooner than the general population, while men with learning disabilities die 13 years sooner. People with learning disabilities face significant health inequalities, with higher levels of unmet need and delays in access to diagnosis, investigations or specialist referrals.
Joe and Julie Stop Smoking is a word-free picture story designed to open conversations and understanding around the health risks of smoking, and how to quit, for people with learning disabilities. It was inspired by the story of a woman with a learning disability who had started smoking after being given a cigarette by a friend who would also smoke as they spent time together. She did not like smoking, or how it tasted or smelled, but nobody had ever spoken to her about giving up cigarettes. This book helps readers understand that smoking is bad for their health, how to stop, and what good things happen when they do. It will also help friends, family and healthcare workers to talk to people with learning disabilities about stopping smoking.
As the book has no words, instead using the shared language of pictures, it can also be helpful for people who do not speak English, or who have a cognitive impairment like dementia or an acquired brain injury. All Beyond Words books are co-created and extensively trialled with people with learning disabilities, to make sure the stories are relevant and easy to understand by a wide range of different people.
Beyond Words stories encourage people with and without learning disabilities to describe what they see in the pictures, telling the story in their own way, whilst drawing on their own experiences to explain what is happening. Increased understanding is empowering, enabling readers to contribute to decisions that affect their lives.
Lead author Dr Keri-Michèle Lodge said: “Health inequalities for people with learning disabilities already mean their lives are shortened – often needlessly. A lack of accessible information about how to keep healthy only makes it harder for people with learning disabilities to take care of themselves. Joe and Julie Stop Smoking provides an accessible, easy way for everyone to be able to open conversations about stopping smoking, even when they cannot read words – a vital part of closing the health gap.”
Dr Lodge, a Consultant in Learning Disability Psychiatry at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and co-authors Peter Marriott, a specialist in helping people stop smoking, and Anne Hunt, a nurse and researcher, worked together to create the picture story. It was illustrated by artist Belinda Evans. The project was overseen by series editor Professor Sheila the Baroness Hollins, Founder and Chair of Beyond Words.
Joe and Julie Stop Smoking is available in paperback (for £12.50) and ebook (for £4.95) versions from the charity’s website. Guidance on how to use word-free picture stories is included for anyone unfamiliar with their practical application.
Help support Beyond Words to continue making books by donating the cost of a pack of cigarettes via www.booksbeyondwords.co.uk/donate
We had so much fun at this year's Mental Wealth Festival - especially when it came to our art and colouring competitions. We had over 30 entries, all of which showed the fantastic talent and skill of our readers.
We were delighted to announce the winners at a special ceremony that closed out the Mental Wealth Festival at City Lit adult education college in London. Our judges deliberated long and hard, eventually deciding that with so many amazing entries, we had to pick one overall winner and two highly commended runners up for each category.
Art competition
📍 Overall winner: Chris from City Lit
📍 Highly commended: Ronnie from L'Arche and Angela from City Lit
📍 Overall winner: Rachel from Epsom Book Club
📍 Highly commended: Nimisha from Bexley Mencap and Tina from MacIntyre
Our winners will be treated to afternoon tea with our Founder, Baroness Sheila Hollins, at the House of Lords. Thank you so much to everyone who took part. We will be in touch with our winners soon to arrange their prize.
On Friday 13th September 2024 the Professional Women’s Network – London hosted a fundraising fashion show for us. This event, the first of its kind for Beyond Words, was sponsored by The Rotary Club of London and was hosted at Future Dreams House in Kings Cross. Empowered to make their own outfit choices, the catwalk sparkled as nine readers of Books Beyond Words modelled a mixture of outfits from MH Mena, House of Kind (London) and their own outfits.
There are 1.5 million people with learning disabilities in the UK, and they are 58 times more likely than the general population to die before the age of 50. 42% of these early deaths are avoidable with good health care (compared to just 9% in the general population). 52% of women with a learning disability are screened for Breast Cancer, compared to 68% in the general population, and only 31% receive their cervical smear (compared to 73%).
Our work helps address these startling figures by using picture stories to build awareness, and ease anxiety and embarrassment. Full-length titles like Looking After my Breasts and Keeping Healthy Down Below, and free health screening leaflets, help open conversations around healthcare and improve understanding. Open communication leads to greater uptake of screening procedures, and fewer missed appointments.
Stéphanie Tumba, PWN London President, opened the evening by welcoming the 40 guests to this event. Beyond Words is the 2024 President’s Charity Choice of the Year, a programme which runs an annual event supporting a charity which empowers women. Katie Smith, Beyond Words CEO, then introduced the nine women who were all modelling for the very first time. The nine Beyond Words models all have a learning disability and volunteered to be part of this special event because they are fans of the Books Beyond Words series.
First to set foot on the red carpet was Emma. Emma has previously appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and enjoys acting, singing, and dancing. Next along the catwalk was Michelle, a self-employed consultant, mother of 4, grandmother of 11 and Books Beyond Word author. Following her was Roxanne, an artist who is also creative in the kitchen where she creates wonderful dishes. Her twin sister Leanne came next. Leanne loves to keep fit by going to the gym and taking long walks. The fifth model was Shadi, a student at City Lit in Covent Garden, and co-trainer for Beyond Words Book Clubs.
Next were four very glamorous representatives of the Respect Group from Bexley Mencap, who have recently started a Beyond Words Book Club.
First to grace the catwalk was Nimisha, who is a puzzle queen and enjoys her arts and crafts. Next was Emma, who works for Bexley Council and helps care for her grandad, but above all is a Charlton Athletic FC fan. She was followed by Lorraine, who likes to sing and to take holidays in warmer countries. Our final fantastic model was Sarah. Sarah is a record holder, having won in both Butterfly and Freestyle 100m & 200m swimming competitions.
There are a wide range of Books Beyond Words titles covering all kinds of situations for people who find pictures easier to understand than words. Our stories are also used in schools to develop pupils’ emotional understanding, with 92% of pupils in a recent study demonstrating improved emotional wellbeing after just one term.
We are currently creating 300 new Book Clubs for people with learning disabilities across England, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. Book Clubs are a place for people with learning disabilities to have fun, make friends, and tell their own stories. Find out more at their website.
We are looking for sponsors to create new books that will open conversations and help to save more lives. Hoped for related titles to the fashion show are What to Wear, a guide to wearing the right clothes in different seasons and situations; and The Menopause, a valuable resource for helping to recognise and understand symptoms. If you could help fund a new title, please contact CEO Katie Smith.
We are delighted to be celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Mental Wealth Festival at City Lit. Having co-founded the Festival back in 2014, we have had the pleasure of watching it grow and become something truly special over the last ten years.
The Mental Wealth Festival takes place from 10-12 October and will be offering a series of free panel discussions on topics like art, creativity, our own discussion about the power of pictures, neurodiversity and much more.
As always, we have a special programme of events over the Festival, including two fascinating talks, some live Book Clubs, and even an art competition. Find the full event listings below.
Free to enter
Closes: Entries must be taken in person to City Lit by 12pm on Saturday 12 October, or sent to admin@booksbeyondwords.co.uk by 12pm Tuesday 8 October to qualify.
The first competition asks aspiring and established artists to show us what makes them happy at work or college by creating a story in three pictures. The second competition encourages everyone to get creative by colouring in pictures from one of our popular stories about friendship and trying new things, Lucy Goes Riding, A Day at the Beach or Ginger is a Hero.
More information about the competition and entry materials.
Free to attend
Time: 2.30pm - 3.30pm
Books Beyond Words is a charity co-creating word-free stories for people with learning disabilities. Founder and Chair Baroness Hollins and artist Mike Nicholson talk about creating picture stories with therapeutic value, while City Lit students will show us how to read Rose Gets in Shape. Book now.
£5
Time: 10am - 11am
From birth to death, our lives are a quest for meaning, filled with moments of satisfaction, regret, and everything in between. Join City Lit Principal Mark Malcomson as he delves into the topic of ‘living and dying’ with palliative care doctor and best-selling author Dr Kathryn Mannix, and Books Beyond Words Chair, Baroness Sheila Hollins. Book now.
Free to attend
Time: 2pm - 3pm
Location: Mezzanine, City Lit
Join Beyond Words’ afternoon book clubs to explore the magic of pictures for yourself. Beyond Words staff and self-advocates will lead on a series of small book clubs developing visual literacy, empathy and understanding of each other through reading their picture stories.
The first competition asks aspiring and established artists to show us what makes them happy at work or college by creating a story in three pictures. Artwork can be completed in any style or medium, including both digital and physical works, and submitted either in person at City Lit college or online via admin@booksbeyondwords.co.uk
Our second competition encourages everyone to get creative by colouring in pictures from one of our popular stories about friendship and trying new things, Lucy Goes Riding, A Day at the Beach or Ginger is a Hero.
The winner from both competitions will be treated to afternoon tea at the House of Lords with Beyond Words’ Founder and Chair, Professor Sheila the Baroness Hollins.
Entrants to both competitions can collect printed versions of the entry forms from City Lit, or download them from our website.
Entries must be taken in person to City Lit by 12pm on Saturday 12 October, or sent to admin@booksbeyondwords.co.uk by 12pm Tuesday 8 October to qualify.
Our expert judges, including Professor Sheila the Baroness Hollins, will pick out their winners for each competition on the day. Winners will be notified and have their artworks displayed on the website and our social media accounts.
We’re absolutely delighted that our CEO, Katie Smith, has been recognised as Cause 4’s Charity Leader of the month.
Katie gave an interview about her path to becoming our CEO, our work, and what she wants to see in the charity industry next in a fantastic blog post.
Read her interview in full here.
Cause4 is a social business founded to support charities to achieve more and better. The company was founded in 2009 on ethical values to support charitable organisations to change and grow, as well as to raise vital funds working across the charity, arts, sports and education sectors.
Books Beyond Words are partnering with PWN (Professional Women's Network) London during this month's London Fashion Week to bring a unique evening of design, inspiration and empowerment, raising funds for Books Beyond Words.
This will be an unforgettable catwalk show and reception, featuring raffle prizes and networking, as models from Books Beyond Words walk the runway in designs from fashion house MH Mena.
As a leading advocate for gender equality and DEI, PWN London supports charities who align with our mission, particularly those that champion the inclusion of individuals with learning disabilities across all sectors and industries.
Following the show, indulge in a delightful drinks and canapés reception, and get involved in winning prizes generously donated by PWN London's esteemed corporate partners and sponsors.
This extraordinary event is taking place at Future Dreams House, a cherished hub dedicated to supporting those affected by breast cancer, further contributing to this event's worthy cause. Every penny raised will go directly to supporting Books Beyond Words.
This event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of London who work on impactful causes that change lives, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
This is a night not to be missed, and set to be an extraordinary evening of couture, colour and conversation. Please join us to celebrate how we can take a big step forward in inclusion and empowering a new picture for women.
Tickets are available here.
“When I started at school, I was nervous, too shy. Not in my comfort zone. Now everyday I’m happy to be in school, ready to learn.” – Pupil A
Study finds significant improvement for pupils’ emotional wellbeing when using charity Books Beyond Words’ picture-based story books
A new study by UK charity Beyond Words and non-profit organisation ImpactEd has revealed that using the charity’s word-free picture stories can improve children’s emotional wellbeing, build stronger peer relationships, and help children identity and express their emotions.
The study found, after using Books Beyond Words resources in a school setting:
94% of pupils became more able to identify and express a range of emotions
92% of pupils in the study improved their overall emotional wellbeing
94% of pupils were found to have achieved their best hoped for outcome:
The evaluation further found that Books Beyond Words resources are filling a gap in provision that is not met by other resources. It found they are easily adaptable to different school contexts, pedagogical practices and needs, and are highly valued by schools.
Beyond Words has been creating word-free stories for 35 years. Stories without words encourage the reader to interpret characters’ feelings, expressions and situations, encouraging open conversations around difficult topics like grief, mental health and trauma. They can be used for a wide range of purposes, from facilitating discussion about specific activities like visiting the doctor or making friends, to assisting children and adults with complex disabilities to understand and engage with everyday activities.
While Beyond Words resources are highly adaptable by design, for this study they were primarily used in three contexts:
Within a group setting to enable children and young people a safe place and a resource to discuss their life experiences with peers
Supporting schools to deliver a high-quality Social, Emotional and Mental Health curriculum (SEMH) for their pupils
In a 1-1 context with a trained therapist
By developing a theory of change and evaluative framework, the resources were assessed by 14 schools over a school term. This framework is available for free to schools that purchase Books Beyond Words’ resources, enabling them to monitor their own outcomes.
Participating schools commented:
“Books Beyond Words have enabled us to give high attention support to pupils not receiving emotional health and wellbeing support via other interventions or therapies – those who might not have met criteria or been high priority within cohorts.”
“For some individuals already working 1:1 with adults, the books seemed to help them talk more openly than other resources had.”
Katie Smith, CEO of Beyond Words, said:
“We have always been confident that our picture stories enhance lives. To have it spelled out in the clear, unambiguous findings of this report is fantastic. Not only do our stories work to get pupils to engage with their emotions, the evidence is clear that they do so across a tremendous range of different schools and in different settings, from one-to-one support in an SEN school to enabling peer group support in mainstream schools. This report makes it clear that our resources can be a tremendous tool to help the children’s mental health crisis.”
The full report is available via the charity’s website. Its key findings in full are available below. Book sets designed for schools will soon be available via TTS and include free access to the evaluative framework designed by ImpactEd.
The key findings of the report in full:
A strong causal link between use of Beyond Words resources and pupil progress towards improved emotional wellbeing, stronger peer relationships, and an ability to express and recognise a range of emotions.
The resources and stories are easily adaptable to different school contexts, pedagogical practices, and needs. They are highly valued by participating schools and filling a gap in provision not met through other resources.
Pupils within mainstream schools, who primarily were not identified as having special educational needs (SEND), made particularly strong progress. 87%, 90% and 100% of this group reported a positive change across the three assessment questions.
Pupils without special educational needs (SEND), pupils with SEND in mainstream settings, and pupils with SEND in specialist education settings all made progress in key outcomes, demonstrating the effectiveness of the resources across both mainstream and specialist settings.
About Beyond Words
Charity Beyond Words (Charity no.: 1183942), now in its 35th year, co-creates word-free picture stories with and for people who find words a barrier. This includes people with learning disabilities and autistic people, as well as people whose first language is not English and some Deaf people, as well as children in mainstream and SEN schools.
Contact:
Emily Magdij
Communications Manager
emagdij@booksbeyondwords.co.uk
About TTS - Giving every child, every day, a reason to love learning
TTS is a leading supplier of innovative educational resources that inspire and empower learners of all ages. With over 35 years’ experience, our in-house experts collaborate with teachers and educational experts from across the globe, developing high-quality resources that enhance teaching and learning, throughout 115 countries worldwide. Visit www.tts-group.co.uk to find out more.
