National Literacy Trust staff
Find out who we are and what we do by clicking on the images below.
Directors
Abigail Moss
Deputy Director
Abigail started as deputy director of the National Literacy Trust in March 2010. She supports all aspects of the NLT’s work and its contribution to social justice and growth.
Previously Abigail led library shared service and other local government improvement programmes at Museums, Libraries and Archives London, and before that was Director of Children and Young People’s Strategy at Arts Council England, London. She has also worked as an English teacher, literacy co-ordinator and a performer and is currently Vice Chair for Project Phakama UK, a performing arts charity.
Jonathan Douglas
Director of the National Literacy Trust
Jonathan Douglas was appointed director of the National Literacy Trust in January 2007. Previously Jonathan was head of policy development at the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, where he also worked as head of learning and access. Prior to that, he was professional adviser for youth and school libraries at the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. Jonathan has also worked as a librarian and children’s services team leader in Westminster Libraries
Jonathan was on the 8-13s Expert Panel for the new DCSF Children’s Plan. He is on the Advisory Committee of Every Child a Reader and the Advisory Committee of the Man Booker Prize.
Communications and Information
Anna Jones
Marketing Officer
I work closely with several of our projects to help develop their marketing strategies, establishing the best way to communicate with our various stakeholders and ensuring consistency throughout the charity. I jointly supervise our branding and messaging, overseeing the production of various web and print materials, and I am responsible for the NLT’s presence in social networking sites.
Anna Lindsay
Public Relations Officer
I develop relationships with journalists from national media and trade publications to ensure that they are aware of our work. I provide them with information about interesting research findings and exciting project launches. Building the NLT’s profile in the media helps to raise the public’s knowledge of literacy issues, and the importance of a literate society.
Charlotte Foster
Head of Information
My role focuses on our online communication strategies. We aim to provide our partners and audiences with informative and exciting online experiences by ensuring that our services are delivered in the most relevant and accessible manner. Our advocacy for good communications is embedded throughout the organisation in the internal platforms and policies for information sharing.
Fiona Lewis
Head of Communications
I campaign for literacy, championing its vital importance to all our lives. I raise awareness of our work and convictions, disseminating the findings of our research and insights, to inform literacy policy and practice. To carry our messages, I produce printed materials and online content, develop relationships with key media, and work with corporate supporters and other partners.
George Dugdale
Policy Adviser
I work to improve awareness of the importance of literacy across government. Working closely with the NLT’s research team, I investigate how literacy transforms lives. By organising events and publications together with the communications team, we ensure both local and national politicians understand the importance of literacy to everybody’s lives.
Paul Jackson
Database Administrator
As the Database Administrator I ensure that the information available to all of our staff is as accurate, up to date and useful as possible. I provide data analysis and reporting to help our teams effectively measure their progress against project objectives and to inform future delivery.
Theo Odeluga
Wikireadia Manager
My work at the NLT involves developing Wikireadia into a genuinely collaborative project: to create a comprehensive, interesting and much-used online resource for everyone engaged in promoting reading and literacy. Many people have knowledge, experience and ideas they are keen to share; I want to show them that Wikireadia is a great way to do this.
Development
Jenner Fabian
Corporate Development Manager
I work with businesses that have an interest in literacy to create partnerships that meet the needs of employees, customers and the communities the businesses work in. Engagement from the business world is crucial for funding projects and supporting the long-term development of literacy. My role is dedicated to building that link for the NLT.
Judith Parke
Head of Development
My role is to ensure the trust has the funding to do the work which transforms lives through literacy. I support the development team in their roles to engage businesses, trust and foundations and individuals supporters. My role also involves exploring new ways of generating income for the NLT.
Tom Walker
Development Officer
I am responsible for generating income from trusts, foundations and government to fund our work. I work with teams internally to develop projects, identify potential funders and secure donations. I also help to maintain our fantastic network of supporters who fundraise for the NLT by taking part in challenges and events.
National Reading Network for Schools and Early Years Settings
Hannah MacLennan
Support Officer
My role within the National Reading Network team allows me to contribute to our commitment to schools and early years settings; supporting them to develop their reading cultures, which can improve attitudes towards reading and, ultimately, the lives of children. With a background in Special Educational Needs I also help ensure we support inclusivity.
Lucy Hawkins
Project Manager (Early Reading Connects)
By providing free support for those who work with birth to five-year-olds I am contributing to children’s language and communication development. With a network of over 2,800 organisations we have devised an approach which engages children and helps parents in laying the building blocks for life-long enjoyment in reading through the opportunities offered by better literacy.
Nick Batty
Project Manager (Reading Champions)
I am helping to get boys to be more positive about reading and to see reading as something that is relevant to their lives. By sharing established ideas and specific tools which encourage boys to promote reading to their peers, we raise the aspirations and motivations of children and young people across our network.
Sarah De Zoysa
Manager (Reading Connects)
My role allows me to contribute to the NLT’s aim to raise the motivations and aspirations of children and young people, ultimately leading to their increased literacy skills. Together with the National Reading Network team, I work with schools, helping them to transform their pupils into avid readers. We have a growing committed and creative network of schools.
National Young Readers' Programme
Caroline Phythian-Sence
Programme Manager
I work closely with the rest of the NYRP team and the NLT more broadly to develop our programmes in order to reach disadvantaged children and their families. In addition to research and evaluation, I work on funding proposals and the financial side of things, and represent our work to our outside partners.
Irene Picton
Project Manager
I visit new NYRP project coordinators in schools, libraries and other community organisations to train them in how to run our programmes. I pass on practical tips and ideas for books and events to help inspire the children and families they work with to enjoy reading. I occasionally attend events and read stories in silly voices.
Lizzie Poulton
Project Administrator
I do the fiddly bits like inputting invoices, organising materials and updating the website to ensure that the National Young Readers’ Programme can run effectively and efficiently to benefit the most children possible. I also work on resources and booklists to make sure our coordinators have the tools to run engaging and motivating events.
Operations
Ibrahim Bah
Finance Officer
I provide the Head of Operations with administrative support on the NLT’s finances. In order to ensure efficient management of the NLT’s budget I produce and disseminate financial information for project managers, trustees and other key stakeholders.
Jacky Taylor
Head of Operations
My role is to offer a good core support service to the teams who are delivering our aims and objectives. I do this through supervising financial operations and providing office management, including health and safety, IT support and other key administrative functions.
Ronan Cahill
Events and Administration Officer
I help the NLT to transform lives by coordinating events developed to share knowledge, research, policy, analysis and news with literacy professionals, empowering and encouraging them to make a difference in their jobs. I also assist the Head of Operations by supporting my colleagues administratively in many tasks.
Partners in Literacy
Emily Mottram
Information and Communications Manager
I support the Project Manager in developing a strategic approach to literacy in the home at a local level. I am responsible for effective communication and sharing of materials between our local authorities as well as the general project administration.
Emily Thorne
Manager
By working with local authorities I am helping more families to have access to support for literacy. Partners in Literacy will engage a wide range of local professionals to actively support families to promote literacy in the home. It also ensures literacy is a strategic priority for local authorities, securing these benefits for the long term.
Reading The Game
Irfan Master
Sports Stories Project Manager
By offering people opportunities to speak, tell and write their own stories through a combination of sport and literacy related projects, we are able to offer informal learning opportunities in a safe and neutral environment. In this way, individuals are empowered, communities are transformed and local partnerships between club and community are strengthened.
Jim Sells
Project Manager
Families from our target audiences often feel that educational activities are not for them; yet sport, and in particular, football, has the power to inspire. By working with football, we gain the ‘permission’ needed to take part in educational activities: our projects are perceived as a football activity, which enables us to reach those who need it most.
Ralph Newbrook
Premier League Reading Stars Manager
Working directly with all 20 Premier League clubs, our projects directly enthuse and inspire both children and parents. By engaging participants through their passion for football, we not only stir an interest in reading that may not previously have been there, but provide live changing experiences like visiting their team’s changing rooms or meeting famous Reading Stars.
Research
Christina Clark
Head of Research
Through my work I provide children, young people, their parents and literacy practitioners with a platform to voice their opinions on a variety of literacy subjects. I work closely with project staff and our communications and policy teams, translating our research findings into cutting-edge practice. Working alongside project staff, I explore the impact of our work.
Talk To Your Baby
Edward Mather
Information and Communications Officer
I am responsible for the Talk To Your Baby web content, online resources and newsletter. This advice and guidance is aimed to encourage parents and carers to talk more to children from birth to three, which will ensure that children become good communicators, enabling them to do well at school and to go on to lead happy, fulfilled and successful lives.
Liz Attenborough
Manager
The ability to communicate is the basis of social and emotional well-being, with good language skills the key to learning. By sharing news, research and downloadable resources on our website, and talking about the issue at every opportunity, I hope to ensure that all children benefit from a language-rich start to life.
Words for Work
Alex Dicker
Project Coodinator
One of our strategic aims is to increase awareness of speaking and listening as key to overall literacy development. I support the Project Manager in the administration and delivery of the pilot which uses creative consultation to unlock speaking and listening skills.
Sally Melvin
Project Manager
One of our strategic aims is to increase awareness of speaking and listening as key to overall literacy development. By targeting young people with low self confidence, the pilot I have devised uses creative consultation to unlock speaking and listening skills. I am developing partnerships between schools and local businesses to investigate communication in the workplace.
