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2022-07-31-accounts

The Literacy Hubs Annual Report 2021/22

The Omega Centre 2 Omega Street, Portsmouth Hampshire, PO5 4LP

07458307437 info@theliteracyhubs.co.uk theliteracyhubs.co.uk

Contents

Letter from Jackie Rainford, Chair of Trustees

Who We Are & Why We Exist

Three Year Strategy

Contribution Made by Volunteers

Governance & Accountability

Financials

Independent Examiner's Report

Letter from Jackie Rainford, Chair of Trustees

The trustees present their annual report and the operational impact report; together with the financial statements of the charity for the period ending July 31st 2022.

The financial statements comply with the charities Act 2011 and accounting and reporting by charities statements of recommended practice. These are applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the financial reporting standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (effective from January 2015).

We are a Portsmouth based charity, formed in May 2020, to address the gaps in attainment relating to literacy skills for children in years 5 – 8 but also aiming to reach other areas of our community, importantly the parents and guardians of the children on our programme. The work we do with the children is crucial in supporting the achievement of the standards of literacy required for secondary school and further education and, importantly, their prospects in adult life.

We focus on children in some of the most deprived areas of Portsmouth, and where literacy attainment is at its lowest. This means working with children who are in receipt of pupil premium, for a variety of reasons.

Our first hub, an impressive pirate themed space at the Omega Centre, Portsmouth has proved to be extremely popular with the children who attend sessions there. They are known as Pompey Pirates, and they see it as a special treat to join us there for literacy support. This is incredibly important for the motivation and interest of the children, and it feels quite different to coming out of regular classes at school for additional support.

In the early part of our second year, we were still affected by the Covid pandemic and lost some of our older volunteers, because of fears of becoming ill with the virus; students also went home to complete their studies. However, we ran a recruitment campaign for new volunteers and focussed on embedding the programme and standards achieved in year one and extending our reach, so that we could support more children across Portsmouth.

Information coming from Head Teachers and Portsmouth City Council showed that the children most needing support had fallen further behind during the pandemic. Head Teachers were also reporting a general decline in confidence in the classroom, with children feeling less able to get involved in whole class discussions or not willing to put their hand up to answer questions.

Our programme was designed to develop all aspects of literacy and with it the confidence to question and take part in lessons. The children are excited to experience film making, writing stories for publication, acting, and recording pieces for the radio. With all of this comes exposure to different people, with different jobs, which in turn engages and inspires the children.

In line with our initial three-year strategy, we equipped and then opened a second Literacy Hub in January 2022. We were fortunate to be given access to a learning space in the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth, which was available for our sessions. We were able to recruit a second qualified teacher as Hub Lead and a teaching assistant and purchase all of the necessary resources and equipment to run the programme with the children.

The Dockyard site for the Portsea Sailors, as they are known, has an amazing and inspiring museum and just outside the door there are the historic ships and often visiting aircraft carriers and navy frigates. At the end of his first session, one young sailor asked, “Do we get to come here every week?” and was absolutely delighted when he was told, “yes!”

During the 2021/22 academic year, 175 children completed our programme and were delighted to have their stories professionally published in a book, their film scripts filmed and screened at a local cinema, and persuasive pieces they had written about single use plastic recorded for the local radio station. Many children sat with their families to listen to the end results, which were played over a series of evenings.

The CEO had a period of extended sick leave in the summer of 2021 and the COO ran the charity, with interim support from an ex Deputy Head teacher and the Trustees.

In line with our three-year operational strategy, our team grew and with the support of the CEO and COO the whole team were able to add additional creative ideas to the programme. They also made practical suggestions for training volunteers and supporting the children further. At the beginning of the year Portsmouth City Council asked us to open a third hub, to match the demand from schools for additional Literacy support, and we began looking for suitable premises, knowing that we would have Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding from the council to open and equip the hub. However, in July we hadn’t found a suitable location for the third hub and we decided to pause the strategy and our plans to open a third hub in the north of the city, until the CEO returned from maternity leave in August 2023.

We have had over 80 volunteers on our books, with 74 volunteering for one or two sessions a week. We couldn’t function without them and the children’s progress and confidence comes from the care and concern they show each child. Some of our volunteers, who have been with us since our launch, have provided support for new volunteers, allowing them to shadow sessions before supporting children on their own.

We wanted to share our programme more widely and bring more children and potentially adults into a literacy scheme. With this in mind, we introduced a parental engagement programme, which includes regular newsletters for parents and guardians as well as inviting them to attend sessions, so they can talk to their children about the work they’re doing. As a result, more parents and relatives attended the film showing at the independent No.6 Cinema at the Historic Dockyard than the previous year. We will continue to build on those initiatives in the coming year.

This year we also felt that it was important that we had a clear, recognisable identity for all our communications and social media posts. The team worked with a small consultancy to define our requirements and they then provided an eye-catching and engaging new logo design and website, which appeals to both children and adults.

To achieve our strategy, it was vital that we worked on a variety of funding streams and started approaching local companies to support us via their CSR programmes. Abri housing now sponsor someof the children on our programme and have been hugely supportive of our work with the children.

We also secured funding from a grant provider and local funding bodies, and continued to receive a percentage of the pupil premium funding from schools for each child attending the programme. We are very grateful for all the support we’ve had, both financially and in kind.

The COO revisited all of our policies and procedures, including the risk assessments for each hub and the overall charity risk register. Trustees have each brought their specialism to board meetings and have supported the operations team behind the scenes in areas of HR, recruitment and funding, social media use, the content of the programme and safeguarding. Each trustee takes the lead on a key area. The trustees also review all policies and procedures, including the full risk register, on an annual basis.

The Trustee team have worked hard to support the operations team this year. All attended a training session in July 2022 on the importance of the role of a Trustee and identifying and managing risks for the charity. All trustees had a 1:1 with the chair and we completed a Trustee skills analysis to ensure that we had all the necessary skills to support the operational team.

As the academic year came to an end, we discussed funding for schools at our last board meeting in July. Head Teachers were facing higher staffing costs and we also discussed the projected worrying increase in energy bills. It was felt that this might be an issue for us over the coming year and that the funding landscape in general may be more challenging. We had increased the size of the team to cover for the CEO’s upcoming maternity leave and to support the development of our programme and a sustainable income for the charity to support our growth strategy. We also received a request from a neighbouring coastal city to open a hub for children facing the same challenges as children in Portsmouth.

It was clear that schools were starting to find funding for their own operations an issue. Unfortunately, in July two schools pulled out of the 2022/3 programme, which was due to start in September 2022: worried about lack of money available for energy and price increases across the board. The aim then became one of consolidation and refining our practice and ensuring that the impact results were clear and telling a comprehensive story of the children’s progress and our successes. We also want to share our story more widely in our community and beyond.

The CEO appointed a Head of Fundraising in May to build a detailed and sustainable income stream. This was clearly going to be a priority for the coming year. We approved a new fundraising strategy, with comprehensive targets, at our July board meeting and this would be driven by the Head of Fundraising. However, in the light of all the current funding issues for schools, we started to look again at where we could put additional emphasis, particularly with local companies. We continue to be supported well by Portsmouth City Council, who also provides the venue for our hub at the Omega Centre, and other key organisations and individuals in the city, including our MPs.

The final impact results from the children are a vital measurement of our success and we’re pleased to report that they were again impressive. Anecdotal comments from their teachers were really positive; the growth in confidence and general engagement in lessons was particularly good.

The charity is now an incredibly important part of the education offer for children in Portsmouth and we strive to ensure that we continue to provide an inspiring, safe, and well thought out programme.

Our financial results show an end of year deficit, in the main due to increased staffing and two schools withdrawing from the programme, because of lack of funds. We are working hard to support schools with this and secure other funding.

We recognise the current and emerging cash flow risks with regards to security of funding, in what is a very challenging economic environment. The board and operational team continue to address and reduce costs, particularly around staff costs relative to incomes, to ensure adequate funds to run the charity effectively. We continue to actively bid for and diversify funding streams, both now and in future, to strengthen solvency and protect and secure our short to medium term financial sustainability.

We want to extend our reach and encourage more members of our community to participate, in line with our overall mission. We will achieve this is by securing more funding from foundations and grant providers, and importantly continue to develop strong partnerships with local companies.

The support and development of our small team is vital, and although funds are limited, we want to explore innovative ways of increasing the knowledge and skills required to run The Literacy Hubs so that it continues to thrive.

Jackie Rainford Michael Cripps Chair of Trustees Treasurer 26.5.2023 26.5.2023

Who We Are & Why We Exist

What we do

The Literacy Hubs works with young people from the least advantaged communities to improve their literacy skills and ignite a passion for reading and writing.

We work with local communities to create hubs which are designed to best support their literacy needs. Our initial hubs focussed on areas across Portsmouth. Each hub will have a different approach because every community has different needs.

We believe that by taking coordinated action at a local level to drive up literacy levels, we can support increased educational attainment and employability skills, leading to long term improvements in public health and economic engagement

Our first hub, The Pompey Pirates, launched in the heart of the Charles Dickens Ward, Portsmouth in September 2020, and was swiftly followed by the opening of our second hub, The Portsea Sailors, in January 2022. Our hubs offer unique, magical and adventurous learning environments that inspire young people to pick up a book or pen and be more creative.

How we do it

We work within the local community to create a hub that best supports its literacy needs – this might involve young people or adults.

In our Pompey Pirates hub, for example, we work with schools to identify children between the ages of nine and thirteen who’ll benefit most from our support. They attend sessions once a week, after school, for a year. This transition phase – beginning the change from primary to secondary school – can often be a critical point for children when progress in reading and writing can really slow down.

In our exciting and engaging learning environments, working one-to-one or in small groups, we help our learners to catch up. Our aim is simple: to grab the children’s imaginations, fire up their enthusiasm and draw them into a wonderful world full of adventure through the power of reading, while also developing their skills. In this way, they can achieve more, in life, in school or later on at work.

In a programme devised and led by education professionals, with the help of volunteers from the community, we nurture and encourage learners to:

Improve their reading skills by focusing on the magic, escape and simple enjoyment that books offer Work on creative writing projects, eventually producing published projects such as books, films, podcasts and even radio shows

Why we are needed

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. The attainment gap widens further as they transition from primary to secondary school.

Children living in poverty start school with vocabularies up to 19 months behind their better-off peers and are twice as likely to leave secondary school without good GCSEs in English and Maths.

One in three children, from lower socio-economic backgrounds, leave primary school without reaching expected levels of reading.

Due to recent school closures, the work of The Literacy Hubs has become even more crucial as the literacy gap between those less advantaged children and their peers is becoming even wider.

The context of Portsmouth

On average, nine year-olds, from low income communities across Portsmouth, are 13 months behind and 11 year-olds are 28 months behind the reading and writing age they need in order to keep up with their peers.

Nearly a quarter of the children in Portsmouth live in poverty and, in some parts of the city, the poverty levels are extremely high. In The Charles Dickens ward, 44.2% of children live in poverty and 45% of lowincome boys are not reading well by the age of 11.

Across Portsmouth, children from low-income backgrounds are twice as likely as their wealthier peers to fall below expected levels of reading and writing by age 11. Therefore, they are already at least two years behind in reading ability when they start secondary school, putting them at a huge disadvantage. If a child does not learn to read well when young, their lifelong outcomes are severely limited.

Our impact

Our Portsmouth hubs are making a transformative impact on the literacy, confidence and perseverance of children aged nine to 13, so that they can achieve both at school and in the world beyond.

Impact measurement is at the heart of what we do. In order to monitor and evaluate our impact we use baseline and followup questionnaires asking teachers, pupils, and parents to rate statements describing confidence and perseverance, STAR reading tests using the Accelerated Reader programme and a writing assessment using the CLPE writing scale.

During our second year, the children on our programme for the full academic year made progress, on average, at a rate 50% faster than age related expectations; improving their reading age by 14 months rather than the expected eight to nine months over an academic year.

Over 80% of the children noted improved confidence in reading, writing, and their ability to persevere, while parents and teachers noted an improvement both in children's communication skills and in their overall confidence.

The Literacy Hubs Impact Report: 2021/2022

Whole Cohort Highlights

175 children attended The Literacy Hubs this academic year. 70 joined the programme in September and completed a whole academic year, and an additional 76 started in January 2022 to complete two terms on the programme. A further 29 students were late starters who accessed part of the programme. Weekly sessions host an average of 16 students from 11 schools across the city.

91% of students felt that The Literacy Hubs had a clear, positive effect on their work at school.

1 in 3 of students improved their reading age by more than a year, with some making as much as three years progress.

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88%
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of students felt their ability to persevere had improved since joining The Literacy Hubs. 54% felt they were 'much better' in this area.

85% of students felt increased confidence in their reading and writing following their time on the programme.

1 in 2[pupils improved their reading at an above average rate] compared to children nationally.

The Literacy Hubs Impact Report: 2021/2022

Pompey Pirates

136 children attended Pompey Pirates this academic year. 70 joined the programme in September and completed a whole academic year, with the remainder starting in January 2022 to complete two terms on the programme.

88% of students felt increased confidence in their reading and writing after attending Pompey Pirates sessions.

40% of Pompey Pirates improved their reading age by more than a year, with some making as much as three years progress.

By the end of the year, 54% of the Pompey Pirates were working at or above their age related expectations in writing , compared to just 14% at the start of their time with us.

"I’m more confident at school with my writing since coming to Pompey Pirates and when I’m stuck, I don’t just sit there, I ask for help. Even if I still don’t understand, I’ll give it a try."

The Literacy Hubs Impact Report: 2021/2022

Portsea Sailors

39 children, from 3 schools, attended our Portsea Sailors programme for the two terms between January - July 2022.

1 in 3 children who attended Portsea Sailors

improved their reading age by 1 year or more , in the course of just 6 months

According to school assessments, 85%

60% assessments, of the Portsea 85% Sailors of students improved their improved their reading at an writing skills by at least one above average rate when 'stage' of their assessment compared to children frameworks during their 6 nationally. months at Portsea Sailors.

After just two terms, 53% of children on the Portsea Sailors programme were working at or above their age related expectations for writing , compared to just 10% in January.

"Portsea Sailors gave me more confidence in everything and I am grateful for this. When I started I used to doubt my work."

The Literacy Hubs Impact Report: 2021/2022

Teacher Feedback

"He has become noticeably more interested in reading and books."

"Portsea Sailors has made a huge difference in her reading and writing."

"Pavlo has improved his attitude to learning in general over the year; particularly his confidence and stamina for writing."

"He has made huge progress all around."

"Grace is becoming more self-motivated and can concentrate for greater periods of time."

"Her speaking has gone from strength to strength this year and she is happy to read aloud to adults."

Parental Feedback

"Being at Portsea Sailors had helped bring up her literacy skills."

"I’ve noticed [my child] has got more confident since attending Pompey Pirates and he reads a lot more than he used to."

"[My child] is better at communicating with children of different ages and from different classes."

"[My child’s] confidence has improved since being at Portsea Sailors."

The Literacy Hubs Impact Report: 2021/2022

2021/22 Highlights

Matthew (Year 5)

When Matthew first joined us, he was very quiet and independent - often choosing to sit alone and work quietly. During the film project, he became much more confident in sharing his opinions with others and working in a group. He also made huge improvements in his reading; improving by an incredible five years and ten months. In the beginning of the year, Matthew had a reading age of just under 8 years old, which is one year behind his expected level. By the end of the year, he was reading at the same level of a 13 and 9 month-year-old.

"The only thing that would make Pompey Pirates better is being able to come in all day everyday!"

"My favourite part of Portsea Sailors is being able to communicate with other people and make friends. I’m so happy to be a part of this group."

Christian (Year 5)

When Christian first joined us, he was quite reserved and rarely joined in. By the end of the year, he became much more confident working in a group and speaking out when he needed help. He made a big improvement in his reading; improving by 1 year 8 months. At the beginning of the year Christian was reading below his expected level and now he is working at his expected level.

His writing has also improved; at the beginning of the year, Christian was working towards his expected level and now he is at his expected writing age level.

Skarlette (Year 6)

"Pompey Pirates is better than school!"

When Skarlette first joined us, she lacked confidence both in herself and in her work.

During her time on the programme, she improved her reading age by 2 years and 2 months, meaning she is now working at her age-related expectations. Her teachers also noted a change in attitude from Skarlette, tellling

us her enthusiasm for reading in school had grown and that they'd seen an improvement in her spelling and grammar.

"I’ve made more friends at Pompey Pirates." "My english skills have improved a lot."

The Literacy Hubs Impact Report: 2021/2022

Community Impact Statement

174 families

. have been supported by The Literacy Hubs this academic year

Between September and July, an incredible

1,982 hours were volunteered across our two hubs, with 81 volunteers providing an average of 24.5 hours each across the year.

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds, and from different sections of the Portsmouth community, including:

Students, (41% of our active volunteers) Retirees (19%)

Working professionals (30% with 17% working full-time) Self-employed Part-time workers

"Volunteering is a rewarding and enjoyable way of contributing to the community. In addition, doing something outside my comfort zone and learning new skills is good for my personal confidence and energy."

Three Year Strategy

Overarching Aims

1.Deepen Impact in Portsmouth

Establish up to two additional hubs to serve ten more schools in key areas of Portsmouth and increase numbers attending our current programmes.

2. Prepare for National Scale

Identify the next region(s) for The Literacy Hubs and acquire the funds required to expand there.

Overarching Aims: The Why

1.Deepen Impact in Portsmouth

2. Prepare for National Scale

Brighton council have approached the charity about launching a hub in the city. They would like to explore this possibility from early next year after we have experience and impact behind us

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September 2023
March 2021
April 2023
April 2021
in Portsmouth and for funding for the
Approach Council and
sustaining of exiting hub premises for second hub University with proposal
February 2023
August 2021
December 2022
September 2021
September 2022
Jan 2022
Summer Term 2022
Sustain existing
March-Aug 2021
hub 1 (Pompey Pirates) programme with Region 1
Region 2
Launch of Hub 3 at full capacity notice periods.
across Portsmouth and begin scoping for Review and assess demand and impact with teacher recruitment
(Pompey Pirates role) inline Begin recruitment for Hub 1
Begin organisation brand work
Hub 3
Begin Kit out for Hub 3
Start volunteer recruitment for
for Hub 3 staff
Start recruitment process
for Hub 2
June 2021
Find a suitable location
Begin Kit out for hub 2
for Hub 3 confirmed Location and funding
process for Hub 2
Hub 1 - The Pirate Ship
Begin volunteer recruitment 100/120 children attending
capacity
Full launch of Hub 2 with full
partial capacity
Hub 2 soft launch with
Scouting locations for Hub 3
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Contribution Made by Volunteers

Our work would not be possible without the support of our volunteers. We are so grateful to our wonderful team of volunteer crew mates who give so generously of their time and expertise. Our crewmates are a variety of ages and come from all walks of life, from students to retirees. Our volunteers are committed to the aims of The Literacy Hubs and have the potential to make a real difference to the lives of the young people we support. The young 'pirates' and 'sailors' love the fact that they have enthusiastic, adult support throughout each session, which they may not receive at school. Our volunteers provide invaluable 1:1 support for the children during our weekly reading sessions, which considerably impacts their progress. When working on projects, or writing tasks, our volunteers work closely with the children in small groups, enabling them to support the pirates or sailors where needed. They are also able to facilitate positive group work and help each child feel more confident. Often volunteers choose to attend the same sessions each week, which really helps to cement pirate/crewmate relationships. All our volunteers complete an application form and, if successful, attend an online assessment and training session. Before becoming a fully fledged crewmate, our volunteers undergo shadow shifts - where they observe a more experienced volunteer crewmate.

A word from one of our volunteers

Ed Wheelhouse Analyst

I started volunteering at Pompey Pirates in January 2022. I was lucky enough to have some free time one afternoon a week and was looking to do something useful. I was also aware that, despite the best efforts of teachers, the education system still struggles to meet everyone’s needs. I believe that literacy is the key skill that underpins all future learning, so if children struggle with it then they’re going to struggle with everything. It felt to me the most efficient way to improve their long-term outcomes and when I heard about Pompey Pirates it was an easy decision!

The introductory session was interesting and fun – it included a story splurge task, the children are taught to do - and it gave me confidence that the way they worked would suit me. I love working with the children.

The biggest impact I see as a volunteer is the developing confidence of the children over time. As they get more involved in the group projects and get to know us, they become more willing to read and write. The projects inspire them to do both as a means to an end, so I think it feels less like a chore. I feel that the adult/child ratio helps to keep their attention on their tasks and being the centre of our attention helps them believe in themselves. The focus on fun and doing something different in a different setting is really beneficial too.

I’ve had the benefit of working with a couple of inspirational Pirate Captains. I’ve tried to learn from the way they drop a word or phrase in here and there that completely changes a child’s mood and attitude. The volunteers are a diverse group so there’s more to learn from them too, and it’s heart-warming to see people coming together to help. Pompey Pirates has been great for me. I’m naturally quite logical and focused and I’m forced to break out of that a lot. I feel like I’m doing something that will have an enduring positive impact, and it’s fun: the children’s enthusiasm (whether it’s for literacy or not!) is infectious and I always leave feeling happy to have spent the afternoon with them.

Governance & Accountability

Charity object:

To advance the education of the public in Portsmouth and the surrounding areas in the subject of literacy skills by providing and assisting in the provision of facilities (or ‘hubs’) so as to improve reading ability in communities in which literacy levels are low.

Public benefit:

All of our activities are undertaken to further our purposes for the public benefit, and are overseen by the Trustees to ensure that this is the case.

Name of the charity:

The Literacy Hubs

Charity registration number:

1189791

Address of the principal office of the charity:

The Omega Centre, 2 Omega Street, PO5 4LP

Charity Trustees (see Trustee and Leadership Bios below):

Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows: Jackie Rainford (Chair) Michael Cripps (Treasurer) Claire Tunnicliffe Terence Carvalho Charlotte Harding (Resigned December 2022) Andrea Spreafico (Resigned January 2023) Pete Davison (Resigned April 2023)

Key Management Personnel:

CEO and founder: Becca Dean MBE COO: Natasha Turner

Governance & Accountability

Structure Governance and Management

The Literacy Hubs is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, whose only voting members are its charity trustees. The charity has a board of six trustees and one CEO. The charity has a payroll of 6 full time staff, including the CEO. Trustees are recruited through existing networks of professionals, volunteers and partner organisations. Advertisements are also posted on national news websites and charity sector websites Trustee roles are outlined following an audit of the existing skills and resources on the board, and an examination of the key needs of the charity. Trustees are appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.

Decision Making and Governance

Charity trustees make decisions about spends over £5,000 that are not part of the agreed budget for the charity. Trustees make decisions about partnerships or associations that could be deemed a risk to reputation or quality of delivery of the programme, as identified by the CEO. Trustees delegate the day-to-day running, recruitment and staff management, growth planning and spending decisions that are part of the core business of the charity to the CEO of the charity.

Governance & Accountability

Trustee and Leadership Team Bios

Rebecca Dean MBE - CEO and Founder

Becca is a former English teacher and also the Co-founder of the award winning charity The Girls’ Network. In June 2021 Becca was awarded an MBE in The Queen’s birthday honours list for both her work with The Literacy Hubs and The Girls’ Network. In 2017 Becca was listed as one of Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneurs. She is also the winner of the Stylist Magazine 'Women With Heart' Awards 2017, been featured in The Independents 'Happy List', a recipient of a Shaping Portsmouth Award and was awarded The Teach First Innovation award in 2012. Becca is Portsmouth born and bred and passionate about putting local female voices on the air.

Each week she presents 'In Conversation' on Express FM where she welcomes a woman who has achieved incredible things both professionally and personally in order to share their story, wisdom and of course their favourite tracks. Becca believes that coordinated, local, action to raise literacy levels, will lead to increased educational attainment, employment and economic engagement across the city.

Natasha Turner - COO

Natasha is a former History and Politics teacher, and academic mentor, who has worked with children to develop the skills they need to improve their attainment.

After moving out of a school setting she spent time working in cultural heritage, including with the Education Team at the award winning Weald & Downland Living Museum, and training to deliver high quality learning experience in out of classroom settings.

Trained as a Beach School practitioner, Natasha believes strongly in the importance of using learning environments to enhance student engagement, change mindset, and deepen their learning.

Governance & Accountability

Trustee and Leadership Team Bios

Jackie Rainford - Chair

Jackie Rainford has lived in Portsmouth for 27 years. Jackie worked as a manager and training manager for John Lewis before moving into consultancy training which has included running her own business for over 20 years. She has her own Learning and Development company and carries out Leadership training and coaching in companies, as well as running personal development sessions with private clients.

Previously a Trustee for the YMCA Fairthorne Group, which covers the whole of Hampshire, Jackie enjoys being involved in events and fundraising.

Claire Tunniclife - Vice Chair

Claire is currently an Assistant Principal at an all-through school in Chichester where she leads on teaching and learning. She has been teaching for fifteen years across the primary age range, working mainly in schools in disadvantaged areas such as Leigh Park and Wecock Farm in Waterlooville. Claire is passionate about supporting Pupil Premium children and those from disadvantaged backgrounds both in the classroom and in their wider lives. Claire, as a child, was in receipt of free school meals herself and so feels personally invested in inspiring children from disadvantaged backgrounds to meet and then exceed national expectations.

Michael Cripps - Treasurer

Michael is an CGMA accountant with over 25 years experience in retail, construction and property service support industries. Michael recently completed an MBA at the University of Portsmouth.

He was born and raised in Portsmouth, returning to the city after a spell working in London. He is currently the Finance Director for a Building Services company based in Southampton, as well as Treasurer for Havant Cricket Club. Michael served as a Governor at Havant and South Downs College, supporting two mergers, serving as Chair of The Finance Committee.

Charlotte Harding - Trustee

Charlotte has been a journalist for nearly ten years training at Highbury College in Portsmouth. She spent two years working in local newspapers in Horsham and Haywards Heath before becoming a feature writer at etc Magazine, based in Sussex. Charlotte has been a mentor through The Girls Network and is the cofounder of Generation Tribe, a website aimed at empowering teenage girls and young women. Charlotte has lived in Portsmouth her whole life.

Governance & Accountability

Trustee and Leadership Team Bios

Terrance Carvalho - Trustee

Portsmouth born and bred Award-Winning Hospitality Manager, Terence Carvalho joined Becketts Southsea in 2019, having previously served as House Manager & Corporate Manager for The King’s Theatre in Southsea for 5 years. In addition to his role at Becketts, Carvalho, currently serves as a Portsmouth Ambassador for Shaping Portsmouth and Member of The Leaders Council for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. His appointment as House Manager at The Kings Theatre in Southsea in 2014 made him the youngest Theatre House Manager in the UK and was the base of the 5 of the most successful years in The Kings Theatre 110+ year history.

Andrea Spreafico -Trustee

With over 15 years’ experience in Learning and Development, Andrea started her career teaching English as a foreign language in Italy. A chartered member of the CIPD, Andrea is passionate about supporting others to find and develop their strengths and build their confidence. Andrea has worked in the private and public sectors in the UK and Italy, designing and delivering training programmes for a wide variety of international clients and supporting staff with all aspects of their personal development. In her spare time, Andrea has provided tutoring support to dyslexic students and been a volunteer helper with Rainbows (5-7 year olds in Girlguiding).

Pete Davison - Trustee

Pete was born and educated in Portsmouth and has worked in the Creative Industries, particularly in talent development, for over fifteen years. Pete has worked for Arts Council England since 2016 where he is the Relationship Manager for Creative Media in the South East.

During the pandemic, Pete took a year-long secondment as Head of Development and Programmes at Portsmouth Creates CIC, fundraising for and part-programming the first We Shine Festival; delivering the Thriving Communities social prescribing activity; and commissioning audio trails of the city by diverse, hidden voices. Pete’s work has been published by Firewords Quarterly and Bath Flash Fiction Anthology (AdHock Press).

Financials

At the time of approving the accounts, the Trustees believe the Charity has adequate financial resources and is well placed to manage its business risks. The Trustees believe there are no material uncertainties that call into doubt the Charity's ability to continue. The accounts therefore have been prepared on the basis that the Charity is a going concern. Please see below for the Statement of Financial Activity.

Financials The Literacy H￿S Balance sheet As at 31 July 21r22 Unreslricled fijnds Re&rided fijnds Total Fixed Assets Tangible Assets 29,999 29,999 Current Assets Debtors Cash at bank and in h￿d Total cUrr￿t Assets 3,572 3,471 7.043 3,572 7,043 CREDITORS Amounts falling due wthin cffle year 8,262 8,262 Net Current Assets {1.219) 11,219) TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES (1,219) 29,999 28,780 Net Assets Capital and Raservas Unrestricted funds Reslricled fijnds TOTAL FUNDS 11,219) 29.999 I. ACCOUNTING POUCIES Basis of preparing th8 fin￿ela1 stalemerts The financial statements ofthe ¢harily, which is a public b￿efft entrfiy undw FRS 1￿2, hwe been prepared in accordance wlh the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. statement of Recommended Pradice appIl￿ble to charities preparing their accwnts in accordance vAth the Finanaal Repc¥ting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 20151., Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financia Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and the Charities Ad 2011. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical Cost convention. The LiteracyHubs

Financials Going concem Al the time of approving the ac¢xsunts, the Trustees believe the Charty has adequate financial reS￿Jrces however the current ecOn￿1C enviroments continues to place addrtional fijnding risk the Chanly. In light of this the Charrty looks lo engjre a balanced spread of fvnding sources and is wdl placed lo manage ils business riths. The Tnjstees believe there are no Materi￿ uncertainties that L%ll into doubt the Charity's ability to continue. The accoLmts Iherefte hwe been prepared c the basis that the Charity is a gcing concem. Income All inccme is recognised in the Statement of Financial Adivilies once the charity has entitlement to the ftjnds, il is probable that the income ￿111 be reC￿ve￿ and the ￿0￿nt can be measured rdiably. Exponditwo Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal cr construdive c&ligalion committiftg the charity lo that expendrture. rt is probable that a transfer of eccffjomic benefits ￿111 be required in settlwnenl and the amount of the obligalicfi can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted on an aceN￿$ basis and has b￿n dassrfied undw headings that aggregate all cost related lo the category. Whwe C￿t$ ￿nTr)t be directly attribuied lo particular headings they have been allO￿ted to adivilies crs a basis consstenl ￿1th the use of resources. TarKJibl• Fix•d Ass•ts Depreciation is prowded at the fdlvmng annual rates in order lo vffile off ￿ch asset ovw its estimated usefvl life. Computer equipment Fixtures and fittings Office eqUipM￿l 2S% strrigm line 20% straight line 20% stra.ght line Taxation The ehaity is exempl frcrfn lax on ils Laritable adI￿leS. FUNJ acco￿￿1ng Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance Vith the tharilable objectwes at the discetIc￿ of the Iruslees. Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted pu￿0$e5 V*ithin the objects of the tharity. Restriclicffts arise when specafied by the donor or ¥kn￿ fiJnds are raised for partiwlar restricted purposes. 2. TRUSTEES REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS There were no trustees, remuneration or other b￿efft5 for the year ￿ded 31 July 3)21. Trust¥•s' •xprms•s 31 July 2022 Trustees expenses paid The LiteracyHubs

Financials 3. Staff costs The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows.. 31 July 2022 Carrying out tharitable adivities Management and administration No employees receNed emoluments in excess of £60,000. 4. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Coryutor Fixtwes and eqiipmwrt fittings Office OqUiWiOrt Total COST Al 1 August 2021 Additions Al 31 July 2022 7,333 12,843 20,176 24,432 2.￿12 27,034 124 120 244 31,889 15.565 47,454 DEPRECIATION Al 1 August 2021 Charge for year Al 31 July 2022 1.833 5,255 7.088 4.886 5,407 10,293 25 49 74 8,744 10,710 17,455 NET BOOK VAWE Al 31 July 2022 088 170 5. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 31 July 2022 Trade debtors 3,572 6. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 31 July 2022 Trade creditc￿S Payroll taxes and payments due 1,719 6,543 The LiteracyHubs

Financials 7. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS Unrestricted fvnds Restricted fvnds Total At 1 August 2021 21.086 25,443 Portsmouth City Council Abri Employmenl Services The Blue Thread Local Sthoc4s University of Pcltsmouth other Total restricted grants 17,129 30,(X)O 22,WO 40,950 15,Q)O 17,129 30,000 22,000 40,950 65,129 50,129 136,867 50,129 186,796 Expenses Transfers befvRen funds Net movement in fvnds (133,3731 {71,1721 1204,545) 125,5991 25,599 122,3051 4,556 (17,749 8. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES There were no related party transadions for the year ￿ded 31 July 2022. The LiteracyHubs

Financials FINANCIAL EXTRACTS.. Profit and Loss The Literacy Hubs For the year ended 31 JU￿ 2022 Accourt S8r¥i¢o delive Oth&r itxom• 70 tsgOIX) St￿￿nt G&n&ral&d kl&aia 22965 71.119. Totsi S•r¥lu d•ll¥•ry Other Incam !947 23 ) 129(W) rdni ft&striCtèd Gr￿1 kncom¢- un R•sirid$d TDt¥l Olhwlnr•m• 116,S1&2S Totsl In¢om• Cost of 8•r¥ic• ddiv 334985 6690 Dirè(t ENp￿ns￿s Totsi •f••r¥l¢• tt•llY•ry N•t I76.7￿0¢ Admiristrativ• Costs drt a A¢e0wé￿ty14l Ink Fèès D9pfgCl¥lion ExpgrÉo Employgr5 N8¢ionW Enlertiwnmert-1(yJb ￿y￿¢S G￿Vr?1 Epy¢•s Lf4nce 1.74SC 4374 10.711 fy) T.423 10 5525 1.280 74 420(w) 1057 4.01646 2.956 153 17 16ei gr￿1paId am CDnsumit4•S P¢nsiws Costs P0$14g•. Frsithl & CoU￿r Pnntng & sthtronwy R￿&9 ISJ.70S32 Sub5¢ripht￿S TW9PtW9 8 ￿ter[￿l 339 3100T 973 JO Profesgongj F995 Tot•1 AdmIn￿l￿￿¥• CM Op•rnung •ufpiu¢ Op•rnUng lurplu 15.75P.•I Op•rnUng surplus ¥ft•rT¥xlon 15.759.481 Totsl Costofier¥lc• d•ll¥•ry 10.040.35 R•port•d Cp•rnlng tsTulon {16.7A•.e31 The LiteracyHubs

Financials Balance Sheet The Literacy Hubs As at 31 July 2022 A¢¢ourt 31 Jul 2022 Fix•d AS￿tS Tanglbl• Ass•ts Computer Ewpmenl Fixttwgs 8 FittirvJ5 Less A￿UM￿al￿d DowOtk3h￿ on C(￿m￿￿orE￿i￿m1 Loss ACO￿LIa1•d on Fixtur•s and FAtni Less AcuJnLlatgd DewecLfjbM on Office Equyment Office Equipmènt Tot•1 Twylbl• A•¥•l¥ 19,895 01 27.033 74 16.807 001 110.293 001 243 97 29,998.72 29,998.72 Totil Flx•d Asi•tt cUrr￿t Ass•ts cuh •t ty•nk •n41 In h•nd HS8C BL61￿$ CLfftrtk¢oLrt 5CQ10 Lrtèr&y hubs Totsl Caih at b￿k In hand 2.970 64 3,470.74 30.600 00 Accowés ftece1v￿g Propo￿￿￿rtS Totil Cumnt Aii•t 7,042.87 Cr•diiors: tmouKs fallin (kn• wiihin on• O)Lrts Pwt40 1.718 87 000 3.322 82 2.109 49 PAYE P8yat4e Pen￿￿$ Pa￿￿ St￿￿rt D•JJ(thor6 PayaNe 845 37 265 00 Totll Cr•drtor¥.' •mounti flllng ¢u• ￿thIn on• y• 9,261.S6 Nèt CumintAststs <Ll•b￿lI1*I 11,218.681 Total Aivts l•is Clmrt Ll•blllY•s 20.780.04 N•t thsets 28,780.04 itd and Rgsgrvgs Cutrlrt Y$ar EarTrngs Retained Eamings 45 579 87 Total Capltal and R•$•r¥•8 28.7￿.04 The LiteracyHubs

Financials Statement of Cash Flows The Literacy Hubs For the year ended 31 July 2022 2022 Account ratin Activities Rgceipls from cuslomors Payrnents lo Supplie￿ and employees Cash rocoipls fmrn olhor op&raling activrtios Not C88h Flovrfs from Operatlng Actlvttl• 88.989 66 1202,045 611 100.676 28 Inv8stin Activiti8$ Probeeds Irum sale ol property. plant and 8quipment Posjrnont lor property. plant and gquipmert Olh8r cash 118ms trom Inv85ling aclwitl8S N•1 Cuh Flow• from Inv••tlng ActlvMI•• 13,685.00 119,382 141 27,027.87 ono FIn￿CIn Activities Olhor cash Iloms trom Iinanong activilios Not Ca8h Flovds from Fln•nclng Actlv*l•s 134,946 281 ono Not C¥sh Flowi Cash and Cash E uivalerts Cash and cash equivalenls ai LIO Jnning ol period Ng1 change In cash lor p•r￿d Cash and cesh equiv81ents at end ol pOn￿j 29,466.01 125,995.271 3,470.74 The LiteracyHubs

Independent Examiners Report Independent examlner's report to the trvstee$ ol The Lllerary Hub$ I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Literory Hubs for the year ended 31 July 2022. Respon$lbllllle$ and basls of report As the charily truslees of The Literary Hubs you are responsible for Ihe preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requiremen15 of Ihe Charilie5 Act 2011 I'lhe Act'i. I report in respect ol my exominolion of Ihe Trust's occovnts corried ovl under s. 145 of the 2011 Act and in corrying out my examinalion I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Chority Commission Under s. 145151 Ibl ol the Act. Independenl examlneT'S Statement I hove completed my examinotion. I confirm that no moteriol motlers hove come lo my ottention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respecl.. I I l accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act: or 121 the accounts do not accord wilh Ihose records.. or 131 the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form ond content ot occounls sel out in the Chorilies (Accounts and Reports) Regulotions Th)8 other than any requirement thal the accounts give a 'true and fair view. which is not a matter considered as parl ol an independent examination. I have no concerns and hove come across no other mallers in conneclion with Ihe exominotion to which attention Should be drown in this report in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Simon Chollocombe FCA. BAIHonsl Penarth Avenue, Port5moulh, Hompshire 26.05.2023 The LiteracyHubs