Literacy Hubs help children in Portsmouth living in poverty

Nearly a quarter of the children in Portsmouth live in poverty.
Children from low-income backgrounds are twice as likely to fall below expected levels of reading and writing by age 11 than their peers from wealthier homes.
That's where the Literacy Hubs comes in.
It aims to develop a city of confident and ambitious young people with the literacy skills they need to succeed in life.
The Portsmouth charity is looking for volunteers to assist with 1:1 reading and support on a range of exciting published projects at our after school sessions.
Becca Dean MBE, CEO and founder, said: "Our volunteers help young people from the least advantaged communities in Portsmouth discover a love of reading and writing, while working on exciting tasks at our unique and engaging Hubs."
The education charity was set up by Becca Dean MBE in 2020. The first hub, The Pompey Pirates, launched in September in the heart of the Charles Dickens ward, where 44 per cent of children live in poverty.
The hub, which looks like a pirate ship, is a learning programme for children aged nine to 13, who have been referred by their school as they will benefit most from the support. They attend sessions once a week, after school, for a year.
The ‘Young Pirates’ are able to publish their writing in the form of storybooks, studio recordings, which were broadcast on Express FM, and films.
During its first year, the children on our programme made progress, on average, at a rate 50 per cent faster than age related expectations; improving their reading age by 14 months rather than the expected 8-9 months over an academic year.
Becca said: "Over 80 per cent of the children noted improved confidence in reading, writing, and sharing their opinions, while parents and teacher noted an improvement both in children's ability to persevere and in their overall confidence."
With plans for a second hub in the works the charity is looking for more volunteers.
 If you enjoy mentoring and supporting people, and want to see the young people of Portsmouth thrive, then visit  www.theliteracyhubs.co.uk, for more details on its work and information on how to get involved.
To donate, visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-pompey-pirates-the-literacy-hubs