A new learning centre for students aged 7-18 will open in East Hull this autumn. The opening of the centre comes as part of a collaboration between The University of York, The University of Hull and IntoUniversity which is the largest university-access charity in the UK. The centre is to be based in The Freedom Centre and will work with local schools to improve the educational outcomes for young people in the area.
Hull has the fifth largest percentage of postcodes in England where adolescents are least likely to go onto study at University level. The University of York will work with Hull to try to improve this figure and tackle social immobility.
From Monday to Thursday during term time students will have access to the centre for Academic Support. Workshops with partner schools will run during the day each week, whilst making sure that all sessions are run in compliance with current Covid-19 guidelines. It is hoped that once the centre is established it will help to support over 1,000 students per year and will be a welcome addition to the services already in place to support the East Hull community.
In total the centre has received £1.3 million in funding from philanthropic supporters. Four full-time members of staff are being recruited to run the after school Academic Support Sessions to both primary and secondary school students.
The sessions will include aspiration-building workshops in partnership with local schools and as well as a mentoring programme with students who currently attend both universities. Professor Susan Lea, Vice-Chan- cellor at the University of Hull, said: “The University of Hull has inclusivity at its heart and this is reflected in the diversity of our student body and our range of partnership work to promote access and success in our local communities.
“Living by our University motto Lampada Ferens, which translates as carrying the light of learning, we’ve been inspiring futures, broadening horizons and pushing boundaries for over 90 years. We are delighted to add to this work through our partnership with IntoUniversity, the University of York and our donors and supporters to de liver further quality outreach that will inspire and encourage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Hull to take a positive step into higher education.”
Speaking on behalf of the University of York, Vice-Chancellor Charlie Jefferey commented that: “Our founders set up the University of York for public good and to care, more than almost anything else, about ensuring access to a university education for those who had previously not had the opportunity.
“This partnership is built on this shared belief in the power of education to transform young people’s lives. And we are extremely grateful to our benefactors, staff and students for their support in helping provide these opportunities for young people in Hull.”
Director of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni at the University of York, Mary Howarth also provided her thoughts on the partnership: “We want to become recognised globally as a ‘university of opportunity’ by significantly expanding our donor-funded scholarship and access programmes in order to help unleash talent, wherever we find
it.”
“We are delighted to be working with the University of Hull and IntoUniversity and we hope the IntoUniversity Centre Hull will be just the beginning of a programme of work with our coastal communities across the region.”
Dr Hugh Rayment-Pickard, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of IntoUniversity, finished by saying that : “We are delighted to be partnering with the Universities of Hull and York to open an Into University centre in East Hull next autumn. We are looking forward to building partnerships with schools and families in the local community to support
