The Literacy Hubs has been awarded £30,000 from Abri’s Partnership Fund to provide additional literacy skills support for children aged 9-13 from the city’s most disadvantaged communities.
Literacy skills are essential to any child’s progression – they are the foundations of good communication, from speech to reading and writing. The Literacy Hubs, an educational charity, helps communities across Portsmouth gain the literacy skills they need to thrive, providing much needed additional support outside the classroom.
In Portsmouth, there is an urgent need for improved attainment and targeted literacy educational support. Two in three children living in low-income households in the UK fall below the expected levels in reading and writing by the age of 11, compared to one in three of their wealthier peers (Portsmouth City Council 2020).
Abri’s funding will provide an opportunity for children to attend afterschool sessions at The Pompey Pirates Hub, supporting families who may be struggling to support their children with literacy outside of the school environment.
Becca Dean MBE, CEO and Founder of The Literacy Hubs, said: “We provide unique, creative, and adventurous learning environments that inspire young people, from the least advantaged communities, to improve their literacy skills and fall in love with reading and writing. We’ve supported over 200 young people aged 9-13 in the crucial years between the end of primary and secondary school when progress can slow significantly.
“Despite recently expanding to a second premises, we have a large waiting list, with many local schools requiring the support of the charity. This need cannot be met without additional funding.
“The funding from Abri, will help us provide support for an additional 30 students (aged 9-13 years) from the least advantaged communities with places at our Pompey Pirates Hub based in the heart of The Charles Dickens Ward. We are incredibly grateful for the support from Abri to ensure even more children can access our provision.”
Kieran Jones, Community Development Officer at Abri, said: “The ability to read, write, and understand information, can hugely affect your employability and early intervention is vital. Addressing low literacy levels at a young age is a long-term solution to reducing the likelihood of a young person failing to reach their potential and ultimately live a fulfilling and happy life. We’re proud to support The Literacy Hubs with this funding.”
The Literacy Hubs currently has two sites, providing support to over 200 children across Portsmouth (who are referred via their schools). The Pompey Pirates (the charity's first hub) has been in operation since September 2020 and is based at the Omega centre, situated in the heart of The Somerstown and Charles Dickens Wards. Some children attend during school hours, as an additional provision the schools cannot provide, and some are after school sessions. The Literacy Hubs has recently launched a second hub: The Portsea Sailors, based at Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard.
Find out more here.
