Playful ways to have fun with numbers at numeracy events

Fun and games will be on offer at a series of free events at venues across Leicestershire next week, aimed at encouraging adults to boost their confidence with numbers and improve their numeracy skills.

Multiplay With Multiply events are happening throughout the county next week as part of National Numeracy Day, which takes place on Wednesday 22 May.

The council has been awarded £3 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to deliver hundreds of free courses, support and workshops to adults aged 19 and over who do not already have a GCSE grade C/4 or higher in maths or equivalent and need to improve their numeracy skills, as part of the national Multiply programme.

Multiply - now in its third year in Leicestershire - is led by the council's Adult Learning Service and gives people the numeracy skills they need for everyday life, to allow them to be confident in things like budgeting, working out bills, helping with children's homework and improving job prospects.

The free Multiply courses are available across Leicestershire in person or online, at work or at home, either on a part-time or intensive basis.

They are delivered by the council and a range of partners, including further education colleges and training providers, charitable and voluntary groups, and employers.

The council's Multiply team and community providers are hosting several free events throughout the week of National Numeracy Day to showcase what they have got to offer and to encourage people to come along and find out how they can boost their own number confidence.

The theme this year is Multiplay With Multiply, and all of the free events will feature number-based games in a friendly, supportive and relaxing environment, as well as details of the free numeracy courses available.

• The Multiply team are running events in Coalville Library on Wednesday 22 May from 10am-12noon, Hinckley Library on Wednesday 22 May from 12noon-2pm and Loughborough Library on Thursday 23 May from 10am-12noon. There will be a range of games on offer with a chance to win prizes, including Play Your Cards Right, Bullseye and Pass the Pigs.
• Helping Hands are running a fun games and activities event at the Two Steeples Bar and Grill in Bell Street, Wigston from 11am-3pm on Wednesday 22 May, featuring fairground games and prizes.
• Forever Savvy will have five fun number-based games at their event at Bagworth Community Centre in Station Road from 10.30am-2pm on Friday 24 May.
• Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL) will be holding pop-up events at Blaby Library on Monday 20 May from 2pm-4pm and the café at John Storer House in Loughborough on Tuesday 21 May from 12noon to 2pm. Visitors will be able to take part in fun games and activities including the number chain challenge, higher or lower card game, numbers myth buster and the Big Number Natter.
• RCC is holding events every day during the week, with numbers questions, puzzles and games, as well as the chance to take the National Numeracy Challenge and find out more about Multiply courses. They will be at Ratby Library on Monday 20 May from 10am-12noon, Harborough Jobs Fair at the Symington Building on Tuesday 21 May from 1pm-4pm and Pathways in Hinckley on Wednesday 22 May from 11am-1pm. They will be bringing their coffee van to Melton on Thursday 23 May at a location and time to be confirmed and to Wellington Place in Market Harborough on Friday 24 May from 9am-11am.
• Business 2 Business is holding a Bake 'n' Learn workshop at John Storer House in Loughborough on Wednesday 22 May from 10am-2pm, where participants will create a baking kit, then take it home to bake their own cake to be in with a chance to win a prize. There will also be a speed time distance competition, code breaker games, board games and darts.

Numeracy is a vital skill that has so many practical applications in everyday life, and boosting those numeracy skills improves lives.

We are proud to be taking part in National Numeracy Day, which aims to empower people to be more number-confident and improve their numeracy.

The events that we and our partners are putting on are fun and enjoyable, and give people the chance to discover that numbers don't need to be scary.

I would encourage people to come along to one of the events or look at our website to take that first step in their learning journey.

More information about National Numeracy Day and the Multiply programme can be found on our Multiply website.

People are also being encouraged to try the National Numeracy Challenge(Link is external and opens in new window), a free and easy to use website which allows users to check their numeracy levels and to improve their skills at their own pace.