The London celebration brought together students from across the UK who have progressed from FE colleges into higher education.
Each student selected by the Helena Kennedy Foundation has overcome significant challenges to secure access to higher education and each receives a bursary to help with the costs of university, as well as on-going support, guidance and training from the Foundation.
Uniquely, UCAS sponsors a bursary open to all students pursuing any subject. This year this was awarded to 22 year old Thomas Lee from West Sussex, who studied at Richard Collyer in Horsham.
Thomas has now moved into higher education and is in his first year at Aberystwyth University, studying Physical Geography. At the awards, he said: “I feel very proud, and most of all honoured to have been helped by this organisation. As a hard working student from a low income family, the HKF have opened a lot of doors for me and they have helped shape my future.
“There are many people out there like myself who are determined to do well, and the HKF can turn that into a reality.”
Helen Thorne, Director of External relations was also at the House of Lords to meet Thomas and to celebrate with all of the students. Helen said: “UCAS is proud to be sponsoring the Helena Kennedy Foundation bursaries again this year. The Foundation’s work in supporting talented students who have faced challenging circumstances aligns directly with our goal to support widening participation. We wish Thomas every success in his future studies.”
The Helena Kennedy Foundation was set up in Baroness Kennedy’s name over 15 years ago to take forward the findings of her seminal ‘Learning Works’ report.
Speaking at the event, Baroness Kennedy said: “The awards recognise the great personal achievement of people who have faced real hurdles and disadvantage but who have turned to education to change their lives. The bursaries ease their financial burdens and applaud their success.”
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Photograph includes: Helen Thorne, UCAS’ Director of External Relations and Thomas Lee.
About UCAS
UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, is a charity and the UK’s shared admissions service for higher education. We manage applications from over 700,000 applicants each year for full-time undergraduate courses at around 370 universities and colleges across the UK.
About Helena Kennedy Foundation
The Helena Kennedy Foundation was founded in 1998 by Dr Ann Limb to take forward recommendations from ‘Learning Works’, the report by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, the President of the Foundation. The charity, based near Old Street in London, provides bursaries, mentoring and work placements to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds to progress from Further Education colleges into higher education.