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 next week.

LiNCHigher is led in Lincolnshire by Bishop Grosseteste University 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; Professor Jayne Mitchell, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University; and Professor Toby Wilkinson, Deputy Vice Chancellor (External Relations) at the University of Lincoln.

The event will feature talks and networking opportunities and will run from 3pm until 7pm.

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.”

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.”

Members of the media are invited to attend the event for interviews and photographs. If you would like to attend please contact Jez at Shooting Star by emailing jez@weareshootingstar.co.uk or by calling 01522 528540.

Notes to editors:

• Bishop Grosseteste University was established in January 1862 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2012.
• It is an independent higher education institution based in Lincoln which awards its own degrees at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate level.
• BGU has over 2,300 students, including undergraduate, postgraduate and research, with over 280 students at collaborative partners across Lincolnshire.
• To learn more about Bishop Grosseteste University visit www.bishopg.ac.uk
• BGU is at the head of a consortium of Lincolnshire universities and colleges which successfully bid last year for a share of £60 million per year to roll out the National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) over the next four years.
• Funded by HEFCE, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the scheme aims to double the proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in higher education by 2020, increase the number of students in HE from ethnic minorities by 20% and address the under-representation of young men from disadvantaged backgrounds in HE.
• BGU leads the LiNCHigher project. Other consortium partners are Bishop Burton College, Boston College, the College of West Anglia, Grantham College, Grimsby Institute, Lincoln College, Lincoln University Technical College, New College Stamford and the University of Lincoln.

For media information please contact:
Jez Ashberry
Shooting Star
01522 528540
07780 735071
jez@weareshootingstar.co.uk
[BGU237linchigher]