Impact

Impact

Real-world examples highlighting the positive economic, societal and cultural impacts of Russell Group universities in every region and nation of the UK.

Feature: Access & participation

19 February 2025
Impact story
Access & participation
University of Exeter

University of Exeter's bespoke access pathway for mature students

A mature student working in a classroom
20 January 2025
Impact story
Access & participation
UCL

UCL partnerships are widening access to HE for pupils across London

15 February 2025
Impact story
Access & participation
Research
University of Warwick

The Warwick study making life better for care leavers

17 January 2025
Impact story
Access & participation
University of Oxford

Opening new access pathways to Oxford

Access & participation
University of Exeter

University of Exeter's bespoke access pathway for mature students

The Mature Access Pathway (MAP) was launched to support mature students - those over the age of 21 applying to study their first undergraduate degree - in their progression to higher education.

A mature student working in a classroom
Access & participation
Research
University of Warwick

The Warwick study making life better for care leavers

Sometimes innovation comes not from science or data, but from listening to those at the heart of an issue

Access & participation
University of Leeds

Widening participation and improving outcomes for students at Leeds

Since 2003, the Access to Leeds contextual admissions scheme has enabled over 10,000 UK undergraduates from less-represented backgrounds to study at the University.

A busy pedestrianised street with groups of students on the University of Leeds campus
Access & participation
University of York

Free skills support and play sessions for families and communities in York

The University of York is spearheading a funding initiative which raised more than £1.5 million to establish a new education and community space, offering children and young people in the Westfield area of York fair…

Access & participation
Education
UCL

UCL East: innovative arts and science initiatives on a new campus in Newham

UCL’s creation of a new campus in Newham has brought numerous initiatives to benefit the local community and developed in collaboration with local government

Access & participation
UCL

UCL partnerships are widening access to HE for pupils across London

Through access and widening participation work, UCL reaches around 1,000 schools and colleges each year, working with teachers and pupils from aged seven until 18

Access & participation
University of Southampton

Turner Sims Southampton: bringing the joy of live music to local communities

In 2022/23, the University of Southampton’s music venue, Turner Sims (TS) Southampton, presented 114 live concerts attracting 18,309 attendees, including 1,560 students and under 18s

Performers dance outside on the grass at a Turner Sims Southampton family day
Access & participation
Queen's University Belfast

Addressing digital exclusion in south Belfast

Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has worked with local skills providers to create a new digital ICT qualification designed to address needs identified through 'Growing Up in the Market' a longitudinal study…

Access & participation
University of Oxford

Opening new access pathways to Oxford

In 2024 the University of Oxford launched a series of new access initiatives for young people from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds in regions of the UK where fewer students currently go on to Oxford…

Access & participation
University of Manchester

10/10: building a sense of belonging and community for students in Manchester

10/10 offers a series of tailored events and opportunities that support students to find community, build belonging and develop confidence in their place at the University of Manchester.

A black woman applauds at an event in Manchester's Black Leadership Programme
Access & participation
LSE

LSE Generate: providing entrepreneurship skills to school pupils

The entrepreneurship team at the London School of Economics (LSE) worked with OakNorth, an alumni-founded business, to develop LSE Generate: a schools partnerships initiative designed to help participants develop…

Access & participation
University of Liverpool

Upskilling Liverpool school students in maths, science and computing

The University of Liverpool Maths School (ULMaS) is the first school in the North West of England to specialise in delivering an academic curriculum focused around A-levels in maths, further maths, computer science…

Students and staff outside the University of Liverpool Maths School
Access & participation
University of Liverpool

Supporting first-generation and care experienced students in Liverpool

The University of Liverpool offers a wide range of schemes to support first-generation students once they arrive on campus, during their studies, and after they graduate.

Liverpool student Amy Jo Mook
Access & participation
King's College London

KCL extended medical degree is widening participation to medicine

The 6-year Extended Medical Degree Programme (EMDP) offered by King’s College London is aimed at educationally disadvantaged students and students from non-traditional backgrounds who have the potential to complete a…

A group of students on the extended medical degree programme
Access & participation
Innovation
Imperial

Imperial's Invention Rooms invite the local community to innovate together

The Invention Rooms is a unique space in Imperial’s White City Deep Tech Campus at the heart of the Imperial WestTech Corridor, where the local community and Imperial come together to collaborate, innovate and make…

Two young men in the workshop during the Maker Challenge at the Invention Rooms
Access & participation
Research
Durham University

The Bishop Big Dig: building strong places and communities in County Durham

The Bishop Big Dig used innovative archaeology ‘intervention’ to restore people’s mental health and sense of belonging