Helping young people to reach their true potential
I was delighted to be at an excellent event to mark the launch of Nottingham Potential and the formal opening of the IntoUniversity Nottingham West centre. It’s a major programme and a central component of the University’s widening participation strategy which has the aim of helping young people to reach their true potential. A full statement on the launch is here but in summary:
An ambitious new programme will help some of the most deprived young people in the East Midlands to reach university.
Nottingham Potential represents a major investment in the future of the primary and secondary-age school pupils — a multimillion pound commitment to help break down the barriers to higher education.
Delivered by The University of Nottingham in partnership with education charity IntoUniversity, Nottingham Potential will provide new learning centres in the community to support pupils from the ages of 7-18, including one-to-one support with homework, literacy and numeracy, coursework, exams, GCSE options and A-levels, careers advice and applications to university.
Nottingham Potential, as reported by the Nottingham Post, is supported by a major donation from Nottingham alumnus, David Ross, seen here at the launch:
The Post notes that Nottingham Potential aims to break down the barriers to higher education in some of the most deprived parts of the City.
Mr Ross, who is the co-founder of phone firm Carphone Warehouse, has his own charity, the David Ross Foundation, which works with children in schools in deprived areas.
He said: “The David Ross Foundation’s partnerships with schools in deprived areas has shown us that in order to raise young people’s aspirations then the earlier we start, the better.
“Our focus is on working with children at an early age to show them that a university education is a door very much open to them.
“Talent and ability is abundant in these schools, and in many different fields – academic, artistic, sporting and many more.
“However, without the right kind of encouragement and support young people may not appreciate the opportunities that they can seize.”
In addition to Mr Ross’ donation, the university is spending £16 million a year on the project by 2015-16.
It’s a really exciting programme and the collaboration with IntoUniversity, the charity’s first outside London, will make a real difference to educational opportunities in Nottingham.
The initial base opened in the Hope Centre, Broxtowe Estate, yesterday.
