Paul Sleem

I was at Manchester City Stadium last week. Not to play football. Nor even to watch a match!  I was accompanying a group of 13 year olds to a book award ceremony. Along with other schools across the city, they’ve read their way through a list of 24 novels – quite a challenge! – and they’d had come to see which had been voted the favourite.  The authors were all present, the room festooned with balloons, music blasting, cameras filming the excited children – the whole event resembled a glittering Oscar’s ceremony.

And, as so often at the Oscar’s, the highlight was, in fact, the host: Paul Sleem – gorgeous, funny, lively, basketball player turned Reading Champion. What a fantastic guy! His work takes him to schools across inner-city Manchester, promoting reading; encouraging young people to see why it’s so important to be able to read – making it a “cool” thing to do!

At the ceremony, he made everyone feel like a star – those who were nervous and shy were transformed into radiant “give it a go” children – taking their place on stage with pride in what they’d achieved. Children seemed to visibly change and grow in front of our eyes like flowers opening in the warmth of a sun they’ve never before felt.

And this in a city that over the last few months, has known so much tragedy amongst its young people at the hands of violent, dissatisfied youths, armed with guns, fuelled by drugs, alcohol or just pure anger and hatred. Youths, who, maybe, have never been encouraged to believe themselves capable of anything better, never had anyone to get alongside them and point them in another direction.

We need more men like Paul Sleem – adults who are prepared to give up their time, their energy, their own ambitions; to invest in the lives of young people. To believe in them. To let them know that someone thinks they are special enough to want to be with them; help them discover skills they thought were beyond them. Opening up whole new possibilities and opportunities for their futures.

Good news for them and for the future of Manchester.

BECKY SILVER
Altricham England