DO GOOD

Inspiring children to achieve

IntoUniversity seeks to help every child realise their potential and make any ambition achievable with its innovative programme of support.

For Chelsea, a Year 13 student from Oxford, IntoUniversity has been a place to gain confidence, make friends and dream big. Through her participation with IntoUniversity’s programmes over the past three years, Chelsea has blossomed from a shy girl who felt uncertain about her future to a confident and driven young woman ready to take on the world.

When Chelsea began attending IntoUniversity’s Academic Support sessions at her local IntoUniversity centre, she was hoping to improve her confidence in the classroom. The chance to make friends and interact with IntoUniversity staff, volunteers and other students in a supportive and friendly environment helped boost her confidence as she prepared for her GCSEs. And the opportunity to work with a Corporate Mentor and to participate in multiple work experience opportunities helped her set her sights on a Law degree, which she will earn at the University of Exeter.

“I was impartial to university at the beginning – I felt I didn’t have a strong interest in a particular subject – but, by working with IntoUniversity, I realised that the experience of applying and going [to university] would benefit me so much… it really helped me reflect and solidify what was important to me and what I want from my future.”

It really helped me reflect and solidify what was important to me and what I want from my future.

Chelsea

Student at IntoUniversity

Across the UK, 1.4 million young people are growing up in disadvantage; just 27% of these students will progress to university, compared to 43% of their more advantaged counterparts. IntoUniversity continues to address this issue by going directly to the heart of the community,

The network of 35 local learning centres provided by IntoUniversity offers an innovative programme of aspiration-raising workshops, academic support and mentoring to assist young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in reaching their potential. The support services range from improving students’ attitude towards learning and their academic performance to helping them attain places at university (many of whom will be the first in their families to attend) or develop skills that will serve them when seeking employment.

The organisation is launching four new centres in autumn 2022, with more openings planned for 2023. In a post-pandemic era, IntoUniversity has recognised that young people need additional support to get back on track and have developed a long-term learning recovery strategy focused on wellbeing, social skills and attainment.

IntoUniversity will achieve this vision through continuing to partner with companies, individuals and universities and through support from volunteers, who are an integral part of the charity’s work. Jon, who volunteers as a Corporate Mentor, has found his experience to be incredibly rewarding: “The ambition and enthusiasm shown by my mentee, along with the incredible support of the IntoUniversity staff, made it a joy for me to give up my free time and help him with anything he needed. Seeing him secure work experience opportunities and get a place at university studying a course he was passionate about made me feel like I’d made a real difference.”

@intouniversity

Bicester Village is partnered with IntoUniversity as part of The Bicester Collection DO GOOD network of charitable organisations, all of which work to empower women and children. Read more here.

Take the Time to Smile… and DO GOOD

This summer, DO GOOD by The Bicester Collection and The Smiley Company are embarking on a shared mission to spread a message of positivity, revealing smiles and unlocking futures for women and children wherever they’re born. The Villages will come alive with smile-inducing installations and pop-ups of exclusive product – with 100% of proceeds donated to our 10 DO GOOD charity partners.

READ MORE

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