Young people facing disadvantage from Kirkby and the surrounding areas will have a significantly enhanced opportunity to attend higher education, thanks to a new children’s education centre in the heart of the town.
LFC Foundation and Everton in the Community have set aside their on-the-pitch rivalry to form a unique collaboration with the Steve Morgan Foundation, the University of Liverpool and education charity IntoUniversity, to fund a new learning centre in Kirkby providing academic support, mentoring and aspiration-raising activities.
The new education facility celebrated an opening event at its centre in Kirkby, joined by special guests former Everton player and club ambassador Ian Snodin, and former Liverpool and England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.
Attending the event were around 25 students aged 7-18 who are set to benefit from the centre for the next academic year and beyond, with some of them delivering speeches.
Primary school students took part in a variety of activities during the event replicating the type of activities they will be engaging with in the year ahead during after-school academic support sessions. Secondary school students posed questions about future study and careers to survey attending guests.
Around 35.1% of children in Kirkby are living in poverty, and the town is an IMD (index of multiple deprivation) decile 1 area, meaning it’s among the 10% most deprived places nationally. The local progression rate into higher education is just 26.9%, compared to 44% of students nationally, making the area a prime location for an IntoUniversity centre.
The centre employs four full-time members of staff and will be used to offer after-school academic support, mentoring with local university students and professionals, in-school aspiration-raising workshops and enrichment and work experience opportunities.
IntoUniversity has a proven track record of improving attainment into higher education for students facing disadvantage, and currently supports over 50,000 young people each year at their 41 centres nationwide.
61% of students who attend IntoUniversity centres go on to progress to university, compared with 28% of students from similar backgrounds nationally.
The centre is a joint venture between IntoUniversity, the University of Liverpool, LFC Foundation, Everton in the Community and The Steve Morgan Foundation, and is also supported by a number of philanthropic and corporate partners.
Liam Eaglestone, CEO at the Steve Morgan Foundation said:
“We are thrilled to see the official opening of the new Kirkby Centre. At the Steve Morgan Foundation, we firmly believe that working in partnership to achieve a shared goal is the best way to deliver the greatest impact in changing the lives and opportunities for our young people. We are excited to see the positive difference that this unique and ground-breaking collaboration between our organisations could have.”
The official opening of the new education centre follows the announcement of the joint investment last Autumn.