The Steve Morgan Foundation, LFC Foundation, Everton in the Community, and the University of Liverpool have formed a unique, collaborative partnership to provide investment for five years to IntoUniversity, a new education facility based in Kirkby, Knowsley, that aims to deliver educational support and development opportunities for seven to 18 year olds in the region.
IntoUniversity is a national social mobility charity which runs 39 local learning centres across England and Scotland. Working with a number of primary and secondary school pupils through partnerships with schools in the area, the charity provides a safe space for young people to learn, explore and succeed in a welcoming and supportive home from home environment.
Due to open in October 2023 in Kirkby town centre, the new IntoUniversity facility will offer after-school academic support to young people in the area, as well as a variety of other workshops, university visits, mentoring opportunities and aspiration-raising activities – all designed to give them the skills, confidence and information to make informed choices about their future and ultimately reach their full potential.
Commenting on the partnership, Liam Eaglestone, CEO of the Steve Morgan Foundation said: “We are delighted to be collaborating once again with like-minded organisations to support the delivery of additional educational and development opportunities for our young people. We are excited to see the positive difference this ground-breaking partnership could have and hope that it will encourage other communities across the country to form similar collaborations.”
Councillor Margaret Harvey, Knowsley Council’s Children’s Services Cabinet Member, said: “I’m delighted to welcome IntoUniversity to Knowsley and look forward to expanding the educational offer for children and young people in our Borough. We know that IntoUniversity has successfully run a centre in Anfield over the last five years, which has delivered a range of benefits through their engagement with children and families in that area.
Dr Rachel Carr, CEO and Founder of IntoUniversity, commented: “We’re very excited to be expanding our work in Merseyside through this new centre in Kirkby. We look forward to working with local schools and the wider community, and most importantly to welcoming some of the amazing young people in the area through the doors of our centre very soon. Kirkby is brimming with potential, and we hope our centre can become an important feature within the local community, helping young people with the skills and support they need to realise that potential.”
Gavin Brown, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education at the University of Liverpool said: “We invest more than £10m each year in financial support for students from under-represented groups to be able to study with us and in outreach activities with local schools and colleges. With the opening of the new learning centre in Kirkby, the University is delivering on its promise to further support and encourage young people across Merseyside to access life-changing educational opportunities.
“Following on from the success of the IntoUniversity North Liverpool centre in Anfield since it opened in 2017, the University is delighted to again be working with Future Goals partners, the LFC Foundation, Everton in the Community and the Steve Morgan Foundation, to help many more young people across the region make the most of their talents and abilities.”
Matt Parish, CEO of Liverpool FC Foundation said: “Our partnership with the University of Liverpool and IntoUniversity for the last five years has supported 3,000 young people from across Liverpool at the North Liverpool Centre in Anfield. We’re proud that 61% of students who attend IntoUniversity progress into further education, opening up opportunities that previously might have seemed unachievable.
“We are really excited to continue to be part of this journey which now includes Everton In The Community and the Steve Morgan Foundation. With their support and the opening of a second centre in Kirkby, the partnership will be able to provide further opportunities for even more young people.”
Sue Gregory, CEO of Everton in the Community, said: “We are looking forward to opening the doors of this important and much-needed facility in Kirkby and playing our part in helping to provide lifelong learning opportunities to young people in Merseyside and increase our collective impact on the education inequality gap.”
Find out more about IntoUniversity here and for more information about our other partners, please click here.