2023-07-31-accounts

The Literacy Hubs

Annual Report 2022/23

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

07458307437 [e-mail] theliteracyhubs.co.uk

Contents

Letter from Jackie Rainford, Chair of Trustees

Who We Are & Why We Exist

• What we do

• How we do it

• Why we are needed

• Our impact (including 2022/23 Impact Report)

Three Year Strategy

• Overarching aims

• Overarching aims: The why

• Three year strategy roadmap

Contribution Made by Volunteers

Governance & Accountability

Financials

Independent Examiner's Report

Letter from Jackie Rainford, Chair of Trustees

The trustees are pleased to present their annual report and the operational impact report; together with the financial statements of the charity for the period ending July 31st 2023.

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).

Currently, we are a Portsmouth based charity, formed in May 2020, to address the gaps in attainment relating to literacy skills in our community. Initially we worked with children in Years 5 – 7, but have now expanded our reach to other areas of our community. The work we do with the children is crucial in supporting the achievement of the standards of literacy required for accessing the whole curriculum in secondary school. We want

young people to feel confident in their abilities and have an improved motivation for learning, which importantly, improves their prospects in adult life.

We work with children in some of the most deprived areas of Portsmouth and surrounding areas. Our focus is always on areas where literacy attainment is at its lowest. This means specifically working with children who are in receipt of Pupil Premium funding and who are struggling to reach their age appropriate literacy levels.

In the financial and academic year August 2022 – July 2023, our Autumn term started in a difficult position; with schools struggling for funding and facing a significant increase in costs. This impacted our team and programme but, over the year, we have reduced the size of the team and streamlined processes and ended the year in a healthier position. By April 2023, we saw more schools wanting to sign up to the programme. We also received confirmation that we would be receiving Government grants, through the Department for Education, ‘Priority Area Investment Funding’; this directly supports children in our city. We were also able to broaden our income streams and welcomed several new partners, including BBC Children in Need.

As the academic year finished, we saw 120 children complete our programme and without exception all had made significant progress, with both their literacy and overall confidence. An additional 12 children accessed our programme over the last two terms. The impact results for the children, shown later in this report, illustrate what a difference the individualised care and attention we provide makes to a child’s confidence and performance in school generally. We listen and talk to each child at every session; they have 2.5 hours a week with the team and volunteers for a whole academic year; in total 98 hours of additional support.

The team were exceptional at developing the programme further this year and also delivered some additional creative opportunities for the children. This included the children carrying out interviews and producing documentaries on the raising of the Mary Rose, which were included in the Mary Rose Museum displays over the Summer.

As stated at the beginning of this report, we started in September with schools struggling with funding; two further schools pulled out of the programme despite very much wanting to send their children. They know the work we do makes a difference but the Pupil Premium funds were required elsewhere, to fund essential staffing in the school. As a result, we decided that in September 2023 we would reduce the amount of Pupil Premium money asked from schools and make up the difference ourselves through grants and foundations.

Our CEO went on maternity leave for a year in July 2022 and additional people had been recruited to cover aspects of her role and to cope with the increased number of pupils we had anticipated joining us. The schools pulling out were an immediate loss of income and we needed to focus on bridging the gap. At the same time, our COO took an extended period of unpaid compassionate leave. It was as our treasurer said, ‘a perfect storm’.

After discussions with the Charity Commission and Portsmouth City Council, the Trustees decided to take over the running of the charity, with the Chair involved in the day to day operations and decisions about the children and programme. She also led on the funding and partnership activities for the rest of the academic year.

We needed to reduce our costs in line with projected income, and with regret we decided to make two roles redundant. The Head of Fundraising also chose to leave us following bereavement leave. Staff took a temporary reduction in salary to keep the programme running and support the children. They should be applauded for doing so, especially in a very difficult economic climate with bills rising weekly. Ultimately, we all believed in the charity and the fact that we were making a difference for the children. The COO did a great job running the charity once back from her extended period of unpaid compassionate leave, despite a smaller team.

Our funding strategy was rewritten in December 2022 and we began, with the help of Stephen Morgan, MP, to enlist support from local companies. This was achieved through presentations, marketing and direct contact with Company Directors. We had previously secured support from Abri Housing and we were able to secure additional support from Thales – banking and finance division, Carrington West, IMS Industrial Services and Anglepoise; with other companies expressing an interest, which is being pursued in this new academic year.

We also increased our funding bids to foundations and grant awarding bodies and were delighted to secure three years of funding from BBC Children in Need; we learnt that we are the only Literacy charity they currently support. We also received funds from Fat Face Foundation, HiWCF, The John Thaw Foundation, The Masonic Society, Moneybarn, Hampshire Dyslexia Association and SJP charitable foundation, as well as considerable amounts from individual donors. Our Teaching Assistant and

another supporter also achieved fundraised income for us by running the Great South Run. All of which made a huge difference to our finances. We are now running a much leaner operation, with the team involved in funding presentations and meetings with companies. It has been, and continues to be, an exceptional team effort.

We also welcomed two new Trustees to the board. They are both experienced leaders, who complemented the skills we already had in the charity.

Ultimately, our procedures and contracts with schools have been changed and we started our recruitment of schools for the 23/24 academic year much earlier. This enabled us to spend more time with the leadership teams in schools to support their decisions and discuss funding issues and meet with parents. We were also able to reduce the amount of Pupil Premium taken from schools; because of our increased financial support from local companies and foundations.

For the first time this year, we ran an Easter holiday club, fully funded by a local recruitment company - Carrington West, and the children thoroughly enjoyed the range of activities organised. We trained volunteers from Carrington West, who supported the children joining us in the holidays. The Easter club also included a visit and presentation from Anita Mangan, who is currently, amongst other things, illustrating her brother, Stephen Mangan’s books for children. It’s wonderful to have Anita supporting our work.

In the Spring, we made a successful proposal for funds to The Hampshire Dyslexia Association. We have developed a programme to update the whole team’s knowledge on neurodiversity and how to help children with learning and processing issues. We are also able to provide a toolkit of resources for parents and guardians of children who are neurodivergent. Hampshire Dyslexia Association were so impressed with what they saw during their visit that they made an additional donation to fund a significant number of new books for the children, as well as bean bags and IT equipment. We are delighted that they have committed to an ongoing partnership.

At the end of the year, we welcomed over 40 supporters and partners to an open evening, at our pirate ship hub, and raised nearly £800 from fundraising on the night. We have continued to receive help and support from Portsmouth City Council and ‘in kind’ support from University of Portsmouth.

We promoted our Volunteer Officer and Hub Lead to Volunteer Manager, and she attended volunteer management training. We developed and extended our communication with schools, parents and carers and we were delighted that 80 plus adults came to see each showing of the children’s films, which were based on their pirate stories.

The Trustees increased their involvement with the charity on a day to day basis and were incredibly supportive to the operations team, especially when numbers were cut and the team needed more support. They continued to dedicate time to supporting fundraising activities and to publicising the work we do on social media.

As our final report and accounts show, we’re in a healthier position, but closed the accounts for the year on a deficit. Additional funding was applied for in May/June and we were successful. However, the funds

arrived in our bank account in the new financial year. Our reserves policy is firmly in place and we have a strong support network. This position took a lot of difficult decisions, hard work and considerable enthusiasm. With regular interim board meetings, to reflect on the programme and financial situation of the charity, we were able to use our knowledge and skills to enable the charity to move more quickly as opportunities presented themselves and build a sustainable income by applying for multi-year funding, for example with BBC Children in Need and The Masonic Society.

The small operational team have gone ‘above and beyond’ and have been incredibly supportive with an ever changing environment for funding. Their dedication has been exemplary and we’re incredibly proud to have all worked so well together as a team.

October 2022 presented us with a perfect storm, but the whole team - staff, Trustees, our dedicated volunteers and all our partners - rose to the challenge.

Most importantly, the children also enjoyed a fantastic graduation event at Portsmouth University with size appropriate hats and gowns.

The year culminated by being invited to run the reading tent and literacy activities on the children’s stage at Victorious Festival in Portsmouth. We applied to be an approved charity for the event and heard recently that we will receive significant funds from the festival, which again shows great community support for the charity.

We ended the year with large funding bids, made to support the schools with funding in the 2023/2024 academic year and to ensure that the children that most need it can access our inspirational programme. Since the pandemic, many more children are in need of our help and it’s imperative that we

secure a sustainable income to continue our programme. We are pleased to say that two of those funding bids have been successful. We have also now received some of the Government’s Priority Education Investment Area (PEIA) funding (awarded to Portsmouth as one of the 27 priority areas). This will continue for a further two years.

In July, the Board carried out its annual review of the charity’s strategy. We reviewed the current economic climate, the funding position for schools and the funding landscape for charities generally. We then updated the charity’s strategy and determined the focus for the new academic year. Following the CEOs decision to return from maternity leave part time, we also restructured the team and altered responsibilities.

The CEO, Becca Dean, returned from maternity leave in September and has taken over the helm. In July, she was awarded an honorary doctorate, by the University of Portsmouth, for her work founding The Literacy Hubs and the impact it has made in the community over the past three years.

The Board are incredibly proud of the hard work, focus and dedication that everyone has put into the charity in the past year. The charity is in a stronger position and we were pleased to welcome another 115 children at the beginning of this current academic year.

Our work continues, the team is strong and confident, and the creative programme continues to make a difference. We welcomed children from Gosport for the first time in September and Infant School children joined us for the first time in January.

We all look forward to developing more Partnerships and extending our reach in this coming academic year.

Jackie Rainford Michael Cripps Chair of Trustees Treasurer 14.03.2024 14.03.2024

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, 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, 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 lunch or 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.

Following the previous year’s school closures because of the pandemic our work has become even more crucial as the literacy gap between those less advantaged children and their peers has become 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 third year, 45% of the children on our programme for the full academic year left working at age related expectations in reading and writing; improving their reading age by 12 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: 2022/2023

Whole Cohort Highlights

120 children attended The Literacy Hubs this academic year. A further 12 students were late starters who accessed part of the programme. Weekly sessions host an average of 15 students from 6 schools across the city.

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83% of students felt increased confidence in their reading and writing following their time on the programme.

45% of children on the programme are now meeting or exceeding their Age Related Expectations for writing, compared to just 10% at the start of their time with us.

The Literacy Hubs Impact Report: 2022/2023

Pompey Pirates

112 children attended Pompey Pirates this academic year. 100 joined the programme in September and completed a whole academic year, with the remainder starting in January 2023 to complete two terms on the programme.

83% of students felt that The Literacy Hubs had a clear, positive effect on their work at school.

36% of Pompey Pirates improved their reading age by more than a year, with some making as much as three years progress.

According to school writing data,

1 in 3 children who attended Pompey Pirates were working at or above their age related expectations in writing , compared to just 8% at the start of their time with us.

86% of students reflected that they enjoy reading, with 25% saying that they ‘really enjoy reading’.

“When I am doing my work, [Pompey Pirates] has helped me carry on, and think about what we learnt there and use that in my work.”

The Literacy Hubs Impact Report: 2022/2023

Portsea Sailors

20 children, from 2 schools, attended our Portsea Sailors programme for the whole academic year.

2 in 3 children who attended Portsea Sailors were working at or above their age related expectations in writing, compared to just 10% at the start of their time with us.

42% of Portsea Sailors improved their reading age by more than a year, with some making as much as two years progress.

According to school assessments,

65%

of students improved their writing skills by at least one 'stage' of their assessment frameworks during their 6 months at Portsea Sailors.

78% of students felt that their writing confidence had improved since joining Portsea Sailors.

“I can write stories so much better. I got a head teachers award for one.”

The Literacy Hubs Impact Report: 2022/2023

Parental Feedback

"His confidence has grown a lot with the attendance of Pompey Pirates and he was always happy to attend. I'm sure he will miss the team. "

"[My child is] more enthusiastic about learning in general."

"You brought Penny on leaps and bounds from when she started which we are very thankful."

"Thankyou. Clemence has really enjoyed her time overall at Pompey Pirates. It’s a great opportunity for the kids."

Student Feedback

"It’s a lot easier to keep trying."

"They made my dreams come true."

"It has made me write more in English and made me more confident!" "It has shown me different vocabulary."

"I can read more words or words that I did not know before."

"Everything was helpful. It was one of the best things in this whole year. Thank you for letting me go. It was so fun."

"It’s helped me because I feel more confident with reading out loud."

The Literacy Hubs Impact Report: 2022/2023

2022/23 Highlights

"If you try your hardest, you will go far."

Albie (Year 6)

When Albie joined us at the beginning of the year he told usthat he didn’t like reading. This soon changed. He worked go far." extremely hard to overcome the challenges that reading used to present and, by the end of year, his determination and perseverance paid off. He is now an enthusiastic and "It has helped

confident reader, making over two years progress over the with my progress course of the year. in my writing skills

Albie’s commitment to learning also shone through during and my ability at both the filming project and his persuasive speech for the radio. reading books."

"Don’t worry, everything will be okay. It’s not as scary as you think. It’s the most fun thing you’ll ever do in Year 4, trust me. Your first day will be amazing!"

Lola C (Year 5)

From the outset, Lola demonstrated her confidence and enthusiasm. During the story writing project, she started off with so many ideas, but soon understood the importance of planning to ensure her ideas could be developed and her story made sense to the reader. Her engagement and enthusiasm during the filming project was amazing and she showed herself to be a natural director.

Reading her story on the Literacy Stage at The Victorious Festival gave the opportunity to share her progress and shine as she read her exciting pirate story. During her time with us, Lola has made over two years progress with her reading.

Aland (Year 5)

Aland began the year reluctant to share his ideas but soon grew in confidence. During his time with us, he has demonstrated that he can lead a group. This was very evident during the filming project with him regularly taking over the role of director. He now understands the importance of planning to ensure his writing is always clear and aimed at his target audience. His focus and commitment to both his reading and writing has led to him making good progress. By the end of his time with us, Aland made over 16 months of progress with his reading.

"I used to not be brave enough to share my ideas but now I am."

"I can read more words or words that I did not know before."

The Literacy Hubs Impact Report: 2022/2023 Community Impact Statement

132 families

. have been supported by The Literacy Hubs this academic year

Between September and July, an incredible 1,800 hours were volunteered across our two hubs, with 41 volunteers providing an average of 47 hours each across the year.

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

Students, (20% of our active volunteers) R etirees (32.5%) Working professionals (45% with 22.5% working full-time) Self-employed Part-time workers

"Pompey Pirates has been great for me. I’m naturally quite logical and focussed 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."

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 so generously give us 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/sailor/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

Evelyn Brown Teaching Assistant

I started volunteering with The Literacy Hubs in May 2022, after hearing about it through The University of Portsmouth where I was a student at the time. I had my heart set on working in education and knew I would need experience in some form of education setting to help me get there, so I applied and never looked back.

The first time I came aboard The Ship, I was absolutely stunned at the uniqueness of the space and the sheer amount of books that the children had access to. My first session was very daunting as I had no real experience in working with children but the entire crew soon eased that feeling and gave me the confidence and skills I needed to support the sessions.The team at The Literacy Hubs are amazing and so supportive to not only the children that they help but all of the crewmates that walk through the doors as well.

I remember seeing the children walk onto the main deck for the first time and every session after that they were still in awe of the space and their enthusiasm and energy was incredibly infectious. Starting a new academic year with a new group of children was an amazing experience. Being able to watch their confidence and literacy skills grow as time went on was incredible. The projects the children complete are unlike anything I had ever experienced, by the time the Pompey Pirates graduated (in a ceremony hosted by The University of Portsmouth) they were published authors, movie stars, and radio presenters, and along the way they would have made some amazing memories, improved their reading and writing skills, and have spent time in one of the most amazing places.

After I graduated from my degree I began applying for jobs, I work now as a teaching assistant in a secondary school, which is a wildly different environment to Pompey Pirates but I was excited for the new challenge and being able to bring all the skills that I had learnt during my time volunteering into my new role, the hardest part of all of it was not being able to volunteer but my time at The Literacy Hubs was so special and is something that shaped me as a person and influences every aspect of my role as a teaching assistant.

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 Nicola Sutherland (Instated March 2023) Vivienne Palmer (Instated March 2023) Charlotte Harding (Resigned December 2022) Andrea Spreafico (Resigned January 2023) Pete Davison (Resigned April 2023)

Key Management Personnel:

CEO and founder: Becca Dean MBE (on Maternity Leave from August 2022) 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. Throughout this financial year, the CEO has been on maternity leave. The charity has a payroll of 2 full time staff and 3 part time staff. 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 Trustees and acting interim CEO. Our CEO and founder was on Maternity Leave for this period. 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 interim CEO of the charity.

Governance & Accountability

Trustee and Leadership Team Bios

Becca Dean MBE - CEO and Founder

(Was on maternity leave for this financial year. Becca returned to lead the charity in September 23)

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. In 2023, Becca was awarded an honorary Doctorate at The University of Portsmouth for her work with The Literacy Hubs. Becca believes that coordinated, local, actionPortsmouth to raise literacy levels, will lead to increased educational attainment, employment and economic engagement across the city.

Natasha Turner - COO (acted as interim CEO in Becca’s absence)

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.

Nicola Sutherland - Trustee

Nicky works as the People and Culture Director for an automotive repair group, with branches up and down the country. She previously worked in financial services and has a strong background in HR, learning and development, and organisational change and transformation.

Nicky has lived in Southampton her whole life, so is familiar with the coastal communities on the south coast. As a voracious reader, literacy is really important to her on a personal level; and as an HR professional, she sees that literacy and communication are at the heart of any effective organisation.

Governance & Accountability

Trustee and Leadership Team Bios

Terrance Carvalho - Trustee

Portsmouth born and bred, Terence Carvalho is Chief Operating Officer of Digital Marketing Agency - Delivered Social. Terence made the decision to leave his previous career choice of Hospitality Management during the Covid-19 pandemic following 10 months during the final lockdown of running Portsmouth's Covid-19 test centre at Portsmouth Guildhall and Somers town Community Hub.

Previously, a multi award winning hospitality manager. Most notably known for his role as General Manager at Becketts Southsea from 2019 to 2022 in which he gained recognition from city leaders for his portrayal on Channel 4's Four In A Bed, Prior to this Terence served as House Manager & Corporate Manager for The King’s Theatre in Southsea for 5 years.

Terence is a 4 time nominee of The Portsmouth News Business Excellence Awards since 2019 and won The Shaping Portsmouth Business Award in 2023 for his contribution to supporting the business community and charitable organisation in Portsmouth. Since 2023, Terence has been programme lead for Shaping Portsmouth's Portsmouth Ambassadors programme.

Viv Palmer -Trustee

Viv is a Marketing Manager with over 20 years experience in a range of industries, and has worked for a number of household names. Viv recently returned to Waterlooville after moving away from the area about 17 years ago – as is often the case, she missed living near the sea!

Viv is an avid reader, and as a youngster was often found quietly sat in the corner reading, long after her older siblings had been sent to bed. As well as the educational benefits of having learned to read at a young age, Viv loves the escapism offered by a good book and sees it as a form of self care.

Financials

At the time of approving the accounts, the Trustees believe the Charity has adequate financial resources, however the current economic environments continues to place additional funding risk on the Charity. In light of this, the Charity looks to ensure a balanced spread of funding sources 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 Tho LStor8cy Balancè Shèèt A6 at 318tJuly 2023 Re¥trlctsd fvnds Total YE 2023 Unr••tyl¢l•d lund¥ YE 2022 Flxd A•••ts Tangib￿ Assels 19,622 19,622 29,999 Current Assets Oebiors Cash al bank and in hand Totel Current A88•18 55.210 1.567 S8.777 7,862 63,072 1,567 4,639 3.572 3,471 7,043 7,862 REDITORS Amounls falllng duo wSthin on8 yaar 73,002 73,002 8.282 Not Curnnl Asset$ 11e,2251 7,862 18,3631 .1,219 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 116,2251 27.484 11,280 28,780 Nèt A$ts C4pltal and Re••r¥•• Unr8slrtled funds R•Btrfclod fvndB TOTAL FUNDS 116,2251 11,2191 27,484 29999 1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES ea¥l¥ of preparfng the flnanclal st*tsmonts The flnanckHI 8latements of the charlty, whlth Is a publlc ben8fl18ntity under FRS 102, have ￿en prepared In 8ccord8nc8 I￿1h Ihè Charilios SORP IFRS 1021 A¢¢ounllng and Reporbng by Charttlgs.. Statement of Recommendod Practice appll¢afJe to charlties preparing th8ir accounts in accordance with the Financigl RepLYbng Standard applicable in the UK and Republlc of Irdand IFRS 1021 leltectlve 1 January 20151,, FIna￿[al Repotting Standard 102'T￿ Financial Reporung Stan¢ard applicable In the UK and Repu￿1£ of Ireland, and the Chariti88Acl 2011. Th8 fmanaal 51atem8nts have b88n prep8r8d uThJ8r th8 historical cost conv8ntion. Golng concern At Ihe tlme ofapprovlng the a(o)unts. the Twsleos beliove the Gharfty has adeouate financial r¢$our¢es howevgr the ¢urrent e¢onomlc enviroments continues to place addition41 funding risk on Ihe Charty. In light ofthis the Charity looks to ensure a boKgnced spread of Jnding sources and is w811 placad to manage it8 business risks. The TNsle?s b8li8Va there are no material uncertainties that call inlo doubt Ihe Charity's abillty lo conllnue. The accounts therefore have been prepared on the basls that the Chadty Is a golng ttjncem. The LiteracyHubs

Financials In¢om• AJI Incomè Is roeognlsad In thè Statomont ol An8￿1￿1 Actfvttias onca tha charty h89 •ntilJamont to th• funds, rt Is prob8bl• that tha incorrÉ will b8 receN8d and th8 Bmount can b8 rne8sur8d reliabty. Expend1￿re Liabilities are r8¢ogni$ed 88 gXPgnditur8 as 800n as there 1$ a leg81 or wn$trucb'v8 obligation committing th8 charity to that exp8nditurg, rt is probable that a transfer ol economi¢ benefits wil be reqUI￿d in setuemenl and the amount of Ihe obligation can be measured ￿lIablY. Expenditure Is accounted Ic* on ari accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost ￿lated Its the category. VVh8r8 Costs C8nnLI b8 dlrecly attributed to particular h8adings Ihey have b8an 8llLKat8d to 8ctivilie5 on a b8515 con8ist8nl with Ihe use 01 rgsour¢gs. Tonglblo Flxod Amots Depreciation 1$ provided al the foll¢)wiro annual r8te$ in order to write off ea¢h asset over its estimated useful Ilfe. Computgr equlpmenl Fixtures and fillings Offic8 equipment 25% str8ight Ilne 20% straight Ilne 20% straight line Taxatlon Th8 charity Is 8xempl from tax on Its charitablé actlvlll89. Fund aceountlng Vnrestricted funds can b8 ugod In 8cciJrdgnee wllh tho chartt8t40 oblactiV88 at tho dl8crebon cl th• tru8t•88. Restricted funds can only be used fcy part'cular restricted purposos ￿￿thIn tho objects of th• charity. R•8tricticn8 art88 when 8p8cifled by th8 donor or than funds are rals•d for parlcular r8strlclad purposès. 2. TRUSTEES REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS There were no trustees, remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 July 2021. Tru8toes' expenses 31 July 2023 Trustees expenses paid The LiteracyHubs

Financials 3. Staff costs The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows: 31 July 2023 Carrying out charitable activities Management and administration No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000. 4. TANGIBLE FIXED AS8ET8 Computer •qulpm•nt FIX￿r&S and Offlc• •qulpmont Total COST Al 1 August 2022 Addttlons At 31 ju￿ 2023 20,176 244 20.420 27,034 190 27.224 244 47,454 434 244 47,688 DEPRECIATION At 1 August 2022 Charg& for y8ar Al 31 Juty 2023 7.088 5.318 12.404 10.293 S.445 15.738 74 17,455 49 10,809 123 28,264 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 July 2023 8,016 11,486 121 19,623 . DEBTORS.. AMOUNTS FALUNG DUE IMTHIN ONE YEAR 31 July 2023 Tra¢J¢ dobtor8 43.072 The LiteracyHubs

Financials 6. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 31 July 2023 Trnde crnditors Payroll taxes and payments due 70 72,932 73,002 7. MOVEMENT IN FUND8 Unrestrfcled R8strict8d fund8 funds Total At 1 AugU8t 2022 22.305 4,558 17,749 Rastdct•d grants mC•￿d Other Total grant6 62,100 62,100 101.103 82,100 163.203 101,103 101,103 Exponso8 Tran618r8 betw8en lund8 Nel rnovermnt In funds 1169,0031 111.72011180,7231 72,S17 72.517 4,817 22,137 17,520 8. RELATED PARTY ￿sCLosuRE8 There Wgrg no related party tr8n38cts'gn8 for th? yeor ?ndod 31 July 2023. The LiteracyHubs

Financials Proflt and Loss The Literacy Hubs For the y8ar ended 31 July 2023 A¢¢¢wnt 2023 Y•r to dat• Tumovor Pu￿1 Premiurn Td•l Twnow4r 60.320 aO.320 60.320 eo.320 Co•1 of Sah• Cosl ol Goods Sdd- SbJd8nt G8nerAt8d M8dS8 Direct Expenses T4til C•t •18al 420 420 2.334 2,754 S7.$10 AdmlnlstrAtfv• Co•t¥ Advertising & Marketing Audit & Accountancy fee8 B8nk F908 Chartiable and Pollucal Donatlons Depreaalkon Expens8 Employers National Insuran General EX￿n$83 Insuranco Inlefest Paid IT Solfvlare and Consumablos Penslons Costs Po$t8ge. Frelghl & Courfer Piinllng & Sl8tiongry Professlonal Fees Rale S8Iarfe8 Stsff Tr8inln9 T8lephone & Intemot Travel - Notional T￿1 Athlnkntr•t￿• Co•t• 228 3,782 20 15411 10.810 12,433 228 3,782 20 {5411 10.810 12,433 221 221 2,942 126 2.254 2.137 214 137.799 2.047 1.378 40 1TI,429 2,942 126 2.254 2.137 214 137.799 2.047 1.378 40 1TI,42 Op•rntlfig Pvofft 1119.1621 1119.M21 Oth•r Incorn• Donations receivèd Gr8nt In¢om&- Rèstrfcted Grant Ineom&- Un Reslricled T]tl Olh•r Incom• 13,163 62.100 27.079 102.M2 13,163 82.100 27.079 102.342 Profft on Ordln•ryAetl¥ltli B•forn Txado 117,$201 117,3201 Pr•fft aft•rTaxallon 117,5201 117,5201 The LiteracyHubs

Financials Balance Sheet The Literacy Hubs As at 31 July 2023 Account 31 Jul 2023 Flxed Assots Tanglblo A850ts Computei Equipment Fixtures & FiitiThJ$ Less Accumulated Depreclalion on Computer Equipm8nt Lèss Aeeumul8téd Depreciation on Fixtures and Fitting$ Less Accumulated Depreclalion on Office Equipment Office Equipment Total Tanglbl• A•••ts Total Flxod A8s•t• 20,138.68 27.223.74 112,123.00) (15.738.00) 1123.00) 243.97 19.622.39 19,622.39 Curr•nt Assets Cash at bank and In hand The Lller8cy hubs Total C••h at bank and In hand Accounts R8c6ivablè Accruod Incom• Prepayments Total Curr•nt A•••t• 1.567.36 1,567.36 41.500.00 20,000.00 1.572.13 64,639.49 Crodltorn: amounts fallln Accounts Payable Delorred Income {Involco$ in advanco) HSBC Business CurrenLAccounl . NIC Payable PAYE Payable Pensions Payable Student L08n Deductlon8 Payable Tot•1 Cr•dllor•: mount• falllnq du• vhthln on• y•ir duo wllhln one oar 69.62 41,500.00 2.074.90 20,755.37 6.320.79 464.28 1,817.00 73,001.96 N•t Curr•nt As8•ts Ll#bllltl•• 8,382.4 Ti)tsl A8ut# IMS Cumint L￿bIlItI• 11259.92 N•t Aii•ts 11259.92 Ital and R8sorves Current Year Earnings Re18ined Eamings Total Capltal and RHorw (17,520.12) 28.780.04 11,259.92 The LiteracyHubs

Independent Examiners Report TB3 Llttle T•pn Titchfield Lane Far•ham Hmp¥hir• Balancin the Bookf P017 5Pq Independent Examlnerfs Report on the Accounts Report to Trustees of: Wlth Officè5 at: Ch•rlty Number.. 11897911EnqkndwT Wthl For the Ye•r Ended.. Ji"Juty. 202J slbllltl•s •nd I report lo the Trustees on my emmlnatbn ol the •ccounts olthe above ch•rlty 1.the Trusfi lor ihe vear ended 3110712023. As the ChirltVs TrUrt•￿ Ire respons1b￿ for the Pfeparitlon olthe •ccounts In •ccord•nce w￿h the re4ulrèmèniS of the Ch4rltles Act 20111.the A¢fi. I report In r•sp•ct of my examln•tlon of the Trusi's accounis carried out under Sectlon 145 of the 2011 Act and In cèrrylng out my txaminatlon I have followed all the applKable Dirtrtion5 si￿n ty the Charity Comm4$5ion urthi Sertlon 14515llbl of Iht Aci. I h•ve compleied my emmlnatlon. l conllm th•1 no mitrl•l mjtters h•ve come to my •tt¢ntk¥n In connettbn wlth the examlnltlon whlch 8fves me cause io bellev• that In Jny maler￿1 respert.. The accoumlng records were not kept In xcordarKè with Sethon 130 ofiht Ac(. or The atcounts did r￿1 accord with the accountlni records,. or The •cco¢Jnts d6d noi compty wlth the appllc•ble requlrements concernlng lom) and £onteni of attounis set out In the Charltles (Account$ and Reports) ReaU￿tkInS 2(￿8, other th•n •ny requlrement th•t ihe ictt+unt5 gfve a'¢rue •nd f•lrf vlew whlch Is rh)t a mattef consldered as part of an Indeperylent e¥amlnatlon. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connertion wff<h the examlnatk)n to ￿th￿h attention should be drawn in thls report in order to enawe a wopei understanding of Ihe Kcounts to be re hed. n•d Jonth•n Kemp 8AIHon51. MBCS, MICB Date Prof54on•l Quallficatlonsl body. Membèrof the In5tltthe of Certlfled Bookkeepe Afflliate Member of the Assod•tlon of Charlty INlependent Examlners •¢tsi•red41• LIm￿l￿(w￿rry WI￿ rw*w7616453', VAT 1285S52 05 The LiteracyHubs