Meet our Team and get to know The Literacy Hubs staff
Becca Dean – MBE
Founder, CEO Designated Safeguarding Lead
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.
A book that changed her life: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
“I was given this book by one of my incredible teaching tutors and I subsequently read it to a very special year 9 class in my first year as a teacher. The class was gripped and it created the most moving discussions about love, loss and hope.”
Becca Dean – MBE
Founder, CEO & Designated Safeguarding Lead
Gemma Ingram
Head of Operations
Gemma was born and raised in Portsmouth, but left to study and then teach in Brighton where she stayed for 10 years. During this time, she also achieved a Masters with distinction focused on supporting children entitled to Pupil Premium funding. Gemma decided to return to Portsmouth after realising that she couldn’t imagine setting down permanent roots anywhere else.
A passion for providing opportunities and experiences for all children, and wanting to give back in a similar way that she experienced during her own upbringing in Somers Town, drove Gemma towards seeking a role at The Literacy Hubs.
In her spare time, Gemma is completing a part-time PhD, enjoys travelling and exploring new communities, and walking her sausage dog.
A book that changed her life: ‘Noughts and Crosses’ by Malorie Blackman
“One day in my secondary school library, the librarian suggested this book that changed my relationship with reading. It’s the first book that I couldn’t put down, told anyone who would listen about, and keep going back to even now!”
Gemma Ingram
Head Of Operations
Elliot Sergejew
First Mate (Programme Administrator/TA)
Elliot first came to Portsmouth in 2015 and completed his degree in Creative Writing and Film Studies. He loved the seaside city so much that he had to stay. After graduating he discovered he had a passion for inspiring and teaching others. He began volunteering at the Pompey Pirates hub in May 2021, and fell in love with the role.
“I was amazed by the passion and energy both the team and the Pirates had on the ship. It really was a magical experience and it was the highlight of my week when I could volunteer, and I wanted to help out as much as I could.” In November 2021 he ran 100 miles for the charity and was featured on the radio.
Elliot loves all forms of storytelling and believes all mediums (video games, film, tv art, books) have unique ways to convey a story. In his spare time he writes scripts, acts and plays video games.
A book series that made him fall in love with reading: ‘The Saga of Darren Shan‘
“I remember not being an avid reader as a child, but I couldn’t put these books down. I’d devour one after the other, gripped on the characters and worlds that came alive in my imagination alone. I found it amazing that words on a page, that from a glance all look the same, could take me on such a journey.”
Elliot Sergejew
First Mate (Programme Administrator/TA)
Jennifer Donougher
Captain (Hub Lead) & Volunteer Manager
Jennifer has lived in Portsmouth all her life and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else! She belonged to a local youth theatre company in Somerstown for many years and loved spending hours in the children’s section of her local library as a young child.
This love for the arts and literature led to Jennifer specialising in Drama and English during her Primary Education degree. During her years teaching just outside of Portsmouth and more recently supply teaching in a variety of Portsmouth schools, Jennifer honed her skills to support children’s oracy, vocabulary development and reading comprehension. “Giving children the tools to develop their confidence and fall in love with reading and writing, gives me so much joy”. Therefore, she knew straight away that The Literacy Hubs was exactly where she needed to be.
In her spare time Jennifer enjoys travelling, camping in her roof tent, eating, dancing and of course, reading.
Favourite books; Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian, The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch and anything written by Michael Rosen!
