Lord John Nash is the founder of Future Academies, an organisation he continues to serve as chair of the board of trustees. A committed philanthropist, Lord Nash also supports the Social Mobility Foundation – a charity that has been breaking down barriers and directly supporting young people since 2005 – through his own foundation, Future.
This article will take a closer look at the Social Mobility Foundation and its mission to ensure that young people’s success is determined by their ability rather than where they were born, went to school, or the occupation of their parents or guardians.
Although talent is abundant across the UK, opportunity is unfortunately not. Spanning the breadth of the UK, The Social Mobility Foundation’s experts work closely with partners in business and civil society with the goal of creating a society where talent from all social backgrounds is harnessed, nurtured and rewarded.
The Social Mobility Foundation works with young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, increasing access to top-quality education and career opportunities through the charity’s Aspiring Professionals Programme. Furthermore, 98% of its students receive university offers, with 50% of students who accepted UCAS offers taking up places at a Russell Group university.
Milly, aged 18 from Glasgow, says that without the Social Mobility Foundation’s support she would not have received all of her university offers. The internship gave her plenty to talk about in her personal statement, with her mentor helping her to become more confident. Abduallah, aged 20 from London, described the Social Mobility Foundation’s work as ‘life changing’, pointing out that his personal statement would never have been as strong without the help of the foundation and his mentor, helping him to gain offers to study mechanical engineering at some of the country’s top universities.
The Social Mobility Foundation has an impressive track record, with 87% of its students in full-time work, further education or training. Isaac, aged 25, works in the digital sector. He says that the Social Mobility Foundation was integral to his personal development, helping to give him confidence in his abilities and access to a peer network of like-minded people, many of whom he is still friends with today.
The Social Mobility Foundation works with partners to change systems to ensure that all young people enjoy the same access to opportunities. One way the foundation aims to achieve this is through its Social Mobility Employer Index, which equips employers with the tools they need to create workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Having ranked first in the Top 75 Social Mobility Employers for 2023, PwC praised the Index for helping the company to understand how to achieve greater socioeconomic diversity and establish a more inclusive culture by reflecting on its approach and best practice. By partnering with the Social Mobility Foundation across its wider advocacy work, PwC has encouraged other businesses to act and recognise the importance of measuring and closing the socioeconomic background pay gap.
Vicky Broadhurst, PwC’s head of inclusion, culture and wellbeing, said that the company was proud to be placed number one in the 2023 Social Mobility Employer Index, recognising that although talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. Ms Broadhurst highlighted the need to take steps to ensure people are supported to ‘get in and get on’, pointing out that this is not only the right thing for PwC but also benefits the whole of the UK economy.
The Social Mobility Foundation directly supports young people through its Aspiring Professionals Programme, nurturing the knowledge, confidence and networks of high-achieving young people. The foundation campaigns on structural social mobility issues, amplifying the voice of young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and leading initiatives to improve social mobility in the UK, lobbying on everything from closing the class pay gap to reducing laptop poverty.