In search of the first Cowrie law scholar

SUB-COMMITTEES

In search of the first Cowrie law scholar

Prof. Oreffo

The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation (registered Charity 1191471) has a set mission to fund at least one hundred disadvantaged Black British students through UK universities in the next decade. There is a wealth of evidence demonstrating access to university is dramatically reduced for Black British students from disadvantaged and financially challenged backgrounds. Indeed, the statistics make for depressing reading. People from affluent areas are five times more likely to attend a ‘high tariff’ university ranked in the top third by entry requirement, than those from deprived areas.

The tragic events around the death of George Floyd in 2020 brought into sharp relief a willingness of many white and nonwhite individuals for greater inclusivity. This tragic event provided the catalyst for many universities to indicate a readiness to shine a light on their activities to support, integrate and promote Black students’ education and wider inclusivity. It is very early days and there is so much to do, but the Foundation has already garnered support from eighteen universities to cover the tuition fees for sixty-two students (£1.7M) and five companies (£125,000) leading to an important first step – the first five Cowrie scholars commenced studies in 2021 (Classics, Midwifery, Journalism, Engineering and Medicine).

I recently had the privilege of meeting Prof. Richard Oreffo, the founder and chair of Cowrie’s board of trustees. Richard is a professor of Musculoskeletal Science in the faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton. Born in the UK to Irish and Nigerian parents, he spent his childhood in both countries. Richard indicated how he was fortunate to attend a wonderful Primary School, Westbury Park, in Bristol – and to have his first mentor Mr Gutsell the head teacher, who took Richard under his wing, a formative phase. Having later studied at Liverpool and Oxford, he belives firmly in the importance of educational opportunities for all. Today, Richard is internationally recognised for his work on the application of bone stem cells and regenerative medicine strategies for the repair and regeneration of damaged skeletal tissue for the patient’s benefit.

Richard explained his desire to see a Law student benefit from a Cowrie Scholarship. “Quite simply, representation matters – the UK is a diverse nation and it is important we have a society and workforce, across all areas from Health to Finance and Business to Law and Education that reflects and is representative of the nation. Diversity is a strength and indeed equality, diversity and real inclusion can only enrich us all”.

There is no need to explain to readers of this publication about the importance of harnessing the best minds from all of society to shape policy and laws to improve social cohesion and equality, enhancing a sense of belonging across Black and minority ethnicities and harnessing different cultures. It would be a significant step forward for a law student to benefit from a Cowrie Scholarship. Many talented disadvantaged Black British students may not consider a career in Law because of the financial burden but a Cowrie Scholarship, covering all tuition fees and a maintenance grant of £8,000 (£10,000 in London), seeks to remove that component.

Richard adds: “In return, we hope and expect Cowrie scholars to give back, to be the catalyst for change in whatever they do in the decades to come. The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation is a long-term initiative that will grow in scale, in which alumni can themselves become leaders and inspiration for new generations of Black students. As I state repeatedly, I want the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation to equip the next generation of young Black people with the education to make a difference in their life, our lives and the world.”

Prof. Oreffo goes on to explain why representation matters: “I wanted to move beyond tokenism and challenge the system – it is one thing to place a black square on a social media platform – but that will not change one life. There is no doubt the appointment of Stephanie Boyce as the 177th president of the Law Society of England and Wales, becoming the first Black office-holder, shows Black Law students what is achievable. While it is a cliché you have to see it to be it (and while not always true), representation really does matter. Equality of opportunity requires us to be fair in every decision we make. We need to judge people based on ability and yet we have to recognise and challenge deep-seated conscious and unconscious perceptions of a person’s ability based on how they look and sound. Law firms have made great strides in recruiting graduates that represent the ethnic diversity of the UK population and yet ethnic diversity at entry level has not led to ethnic diversity at the higher echelons of management.”

Critically, as reported by the FT in November 2021, middle management Black lawyers in the largest UK law firms are four times more likely to leave than their white and other minorityethnic peers. It’s time to ask … how can WHLS and its members help to support the first Cowrie law scholar? Your thoughts and ideas are most welcome. Please feel free to contact either myself or Prof. Oreffo directly: jordan@jordanlancaster.co.uk, info@cowriescholarshipfoundation.org.

Jordan Lancaster is a member of the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion WHLS sub-committee. To join the committee please contact coralhill@btinternet.com.