Avast! Portsmouth literacy charity behind the Pompey Pirates is set to open second reading hub for disadvantaged youth is on the lookout for volunteer crewmates

After the success of The Literacy Hubs’s first reading hub, Pompey Pirates, which is based at the Omega Centre in the heart of the Charles Dickens ward, the Portsmouth-based charity’s second hub is set to open in January.

Named the Portsea Sailors, the second hub will be based at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

The initiative is aimed at children between the ages of nine and 13, who have been referred by their school for additional reading support.

Volunteers, or ‘crewmates’, are needed to provide support for the children at sessions based at either the Omega Centre or Dockyard.

The Literacy Hubs aims to provide unique, creative and adventurous learning environments which inspire young people from the least advantaged communities to improve their literacy skills and fall in love with reading and writing.

Becca Dean MBE, founder and CEO of the charity, set up The Literacy Hubs in 2020 and was awarded an MBE in 2021 for her services for charity.

She said: ‘It’s so exciting to be launching our second hub so that we can support even more children from across the city.

‘This wouldn’t be possible without the support of our volunteers, partners, funders and schools.’

Charity crewmates work one-to-one with the children once a week after school at the hubs on a number of projects throughout the academic year.

Volunteers are asked to sign up for a minimum of 15 sessions per year.

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth's first woman elected as a councillor honoured with blue plaque

Becca added: ‘Our volunteer ‘crewmates’ support the young people who attend the sessions at our ‘ships’.

‘As part of the crew, you will support children with their reading and writing, helping them gain confidence both at school and in the world beyond.

‘All sessions are guided by a qualified teacher.’

Volunteers are required to have a good understanding of written English and an enjoyment of reading and writing.

To register an interest, email volunteers@theliteracyhubs.co.uk.

Previous Pompey Pirates projects the children have completed include having their stories published in a book.

They also wrote a script and made a film which was screened at the University of Portsmouth, and conducted a radio debate on Express FM.

Visit theliteracyhubs.co.uk.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Subscribe here for unlimited access to all our coverage, including Pompey, for just 26p a day.