Celebrating a Year of Improving Access to Higher Education

A scheme which aims to double the proportion of disadvantaged young people going to university will celebrate its achievements so far at an event in Woodhall Spa this week.

LiNCHigher is led in Lincolnshire by Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) and is part of a wider national initiative (NCOP) funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to raise aspirations amongst young people.

The overall aim is to meet government targets to improve access to higher education and the scheme will run for two years until December 2018, and possibly beyond.

Around 50 guests are expected to attend the celebration at Woodhall Spa Manor on Wednesday 1st November, including the Mayor of Lincoln, Councillor Chris Burke and Professor Jayne Mitchell, Deputy Vice Chancellor of BGU.

Since its formation in January 2017 the project team, consortium partners and delivery partners have worked to change attitudes towards higher education, improve knowledge of the options available to young people and raise aspirations within communities.

“LiNCHigher is committed to offering information, advice and guidance for the young people of Lincolnshire and promoting local opportunities for their futures,” said Project Officer Natalie Poole.

“We hope to inspire a new generation of students to grow and realise their aspirations while studying in or outside of Lincolnshire.

“Our celebration event will bring together key stakeholders to encourage discussions around skills needs, higher education and Lincolnshire’s business community.”

BGU's Professor Jayne Mitchell added: “The LiNCHigher project has made significant progress in engaging with young people, parents and teachers across Lincolnshire. As the success of the project gathers speed, support from partners and the wider community will prove ever more critical.

“This celebration event will showcase our successes so far, introduce new stakeholders to the project and discuss plans for the future. It should be a fabulous event and I’m looking forward to welcoming our guests as Chair of the LiNCHigher Governance Board.”