LEVELLING UP IMPACT REPORT

Foreword

Justine Greening, Founder of the Purpose Goals and Former Secretary of State for Education

We must recognise that no single group has all the answers to levelling up and spreading opportunity. It is going to take leadership from all sections of society.

Often the solutions to levelling up are being innovated, developed, trialled and deployed at the grassroots in communities everywhere.

Some of the most innovative solutions are coming from universities under the leadership of their Vice-Chancellors.

For them and their institutions, levelling up and the phrase ‘talent is spread evenly but opportunity is not’ encapsulates the challenge they and their institutions constantly seek to address. For these institutions it is part of their organisational DNA.

It has never been a more important time to reap the wider benefits of the successful approaches, such as those described in this report, especially as the levelling up and social mobility debate necessarily shifts onto exploring practical solutions.

The University of Chester, under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Professor Eunice Simmons, has worked hard to become one of the most forward-thinking universities in the UK, evidenced by its willingness to contribute to the purpose agenda and supporting the creation of an impact report which examines the steps it has taken to strengthen social mobility.

This independent report assesses where and how the university is meeting the 14 goals and highlights the areas where it could make even more of an impact on its staff, students and the wider public.

The goals, which were created with the Purpose Coalition - a group of purpose-led organisationscreate a common design with which organisations can measure their progress.

This allows those organisations to generate benchmarks, target their social impact more effectively and collaborate through partnerships and the sharing of best practice.

In this report, the University of Chester has demonstrated a particular strength in supporting young people in their educational career, particularly underrepresented groups.

It offers several examples in support of Goals 2, 3 and 4, which focus on school years, 16+ and gaining the right advice and experience throughout academic life and then transitioning into their careers.

Outreach is of high importance to the university, and its Outreach Team works hard to involve and encourage young people from all backgrounds to pursue higher education.

The university is proud of its achievements in promoting diversity and equality for its staff and students, as well as the wider public.

The student population is heavily involved in its equality work, for example by supporting advocate groups or by taking on student opinion in its recruitment process.

There is always more that can be done within the purpose agenda, but it is extremely encouraging to see the progress that has been made by the University of Chester and the continued focus on delivering social value for students, colleagues, and the wider Chester community.

Foreword

Since 1839 our institutional mission has committed us to provide our students with the education, skills and support to enable them to develop as confident world citizens, and to serve and improve the global communities within which they live and work. One of my main priorities on joining the University of Chester at the beginning of 2020 was to enhance this mission-led culture of social mobility and inclusivity, not just for our students, but also for our staff and communities.

As a local ‘anchor’ institution, we recognise that we have a responsibility to engage proactively and meaningfully in placemaking. Our University doesn’t only serve the communities surrounding Chester; we have University Centres in rural and urban areas, in Shropshire, Birkenhead, Warrington and Reaseheath. All of these communities face their own challenges and have their own aspirations for a fair and prosperous future.

We recognise that we must adapt as the priorities of our local and global communities, and those of our students, evolve in response to the challenges we all face. Work with regional place makers over the past few years has highlighted shared commitments to achieving sustainable and inclusive growth that addresses the inequalities facing marginalised and underrepresented communities, without negatively impacting our natural environment.

Our Strategic Executive Team provides intentional leadership in support of these priorities, through board membership and key partnerships with our local authorities, NHS partners, charities, creative organisations and business representatives. University leadership is important, but we recognise the huge potential and significance of our students as agents of change. Our 2,600 staff support more than 14,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students and some 3,000 students at our partner institutions. While we welcome students from 115 countries, in 2021/22, nearly half of our new undergraduates joined us from our local communities, and 40% of our students come from areas of low participation in higher education.

Our Citizen Student Strategy reflects this, encouraging us all to consider how our activities support three themes that are crucial for meaningful and effective social mobility:

- Enhancing social capital – opening doors for students whilst studying and beyond.

- A holistic student experience – creating a culture of opportunity and self-development.

- Focusing on lifelong learning – developing an inclusive offer for students of all ages and backgrounds.

The work explored in this report, aligned to our Strategy and the Purpose Coalition Goals, represents just a snapshot of what must be a long-term commitment, but recognising and celebrating our achievements along the way is both empowering and a valuable learning opportunity.

Personally, some of the achievements of which I am particularly proud include my role developing and chairing the Transforming Access and Student Outcomes (TASO) charity, an independent ‘what works evaluation centre’ partnering with more than 100 universities, providing access to research, toolkits and evaluation guidance to help improve equality in our sector.

Closer to home, over the last couple of years, we have moved our University Centre Warrington into the town centre, embedding within the community our health and social care, education and policing provision. This is helping to break down barriers (both perceived and actual), making higher education more accessible and reducing the need for people to drive to access their higher education. The move has created new facilities to better serve the needs of the town, including a digital learning centre and collaborative spaces for use by both businesses and local communities, alongside our students.

At University Centre Reaseheath we’ve supported a new Institute for Sustainability and Food Innovation to bring students, research and companies together in a cutting-edge facility.

These are just three examples of the work we are undertaking in support of the Purpose Coalition Goals. Please read on to hear more about some of the innovative, impactful work our students, staff and local communities have developed, and our ambitions for the future.