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Chasing the ‘Silver Bullet’… through a continuation of funding cuts

Interested in Widening Participation? Here’s what you can expect from this article:

🧐 An insightful discussion on Widening Participation (WP), an area I’m deeply passionate about.

🤐 The ramblings of a man (that’s me) who has benefitted from incredible WP initiatives as a young boy.

🫡 My viewpoint on the invaluable and impactful work we do as a group of passionate and like-minded folks in WP. This includes University WP Teams, Uni Connect, Schools and Colleges.

🤗 I hope you enjoy this blog and find it informative.

I’ve worked in the area of Widening Participation, more commonly known as WP, since 2008

I stumbled upon this area of work by chance – or you could argue, right place, right time. While studying for my Postgraduate Masters, I started working as part of the Leeds Beckett University (LBU) Student Ambassador (SA) scheme. Most, if not all, universities have similar schemes. SAs help WP Teams deliver outreach events, both in schools and on campus. Employing enthusiastic students helps reach more targeted young people and support the WP team’s objectives.

Great, so I took a part-time job at university and now I think I know everything about WP. That was just the start. The seed was planted, the enthusiasm built, and I was driven toward a new career trajectory. I understood how I wanted to build my career.

Through this work, I managed to secure a full-time role with the WP Team, called the Get Ahead team at LBU. Delighted to be in the workplace post-studies, I could now stop eating beans and toast and progress to eating some real food with my newly acquired buying power. While I initially thought my career would flourish in the sports industry (given my background as an athlete and my studies), I had a ‘sliding doors’ moment that led me to a fulfilling career in WP.

So get to the point Sean…

Ok… why is this important? Well, it is to me and it may also be for you. The reason why I’m so passionate about WP and Social Mobility is that I’ve had the privilege to work in a Widening Participation career at LBU and have since moved on, becoming the Founder and Managing Director of Cosmos Engagement Ltd. in 2017. I’m incredibly proud to have served so many students over the years and continue to do so through my work at Cosmos. I like to think I’ve impacted many lives along the way.

Mr. WP

The other reason it’s so important to me is that I was that very WP student we are all working so hard to support. For far too many reasons to list here, I would describe myself as Mr WP. Born in Ireland to a mother who was a full-time mum to four children, and a father who was a fisherman (you don’t meet many of those folks today). I came from a broken home and was taken into foster care at 11. I lived there until starting my undergraduate university journey at 18. Despite challenges, I did ‘pretty well’ educationally, which led to my first WP role. I’m now the MD of Cosmos, though my more competent wife and business partner may dethrone me one day.

The Real Stuff: The Importance of Widening Participation Initiatives

WP and fair access schemes, initiatives, and Uni Connect support are incredibly important for the future of our most disadvantaged young people. Hence why I felt so compelled to write this piece. I was a beneficiary and can provide many anecdotal and research-based testimonies to their impact. My numerous on-campus day events at Leeds Metropolitan and my involvement in initiatives supporting young people in foster care to progress to higher education were life-changing. These experiences provided opportunities and broadened my aspirations.

Ok, ok so I’ve had my ramble, why does it matter

I’m well and truly strapped in and perched upon my proverbial ‘high horse,’ thanks for staying with me. It matters a lot. I write this in response to the continued and ever-deflating news of yet another funding cut to our beloved sector, particularly the Uni Connect space. This is yet another cut in less than 4 years, reducing the total funding significantly since the scheme’s launch.

You may say, “So what, it’s only one cut.” Well, not quite. This pattern of investment, momentum, and budget reduction diminishes the argument that these schemes are held in high regard by our government.

Key Points

1. Belief in WP Schemes: We need to believe in the merit of WP schemes and fund them adequately and consistently for their long-term impact.

2. Sustained & Progressive Effort: WP is ‘never done.’ We need to support young people throughout their educational journey, not just get them to the start line.

3. Impact of Cuts: Funding cuts affect the staff, the passion, and the talent in the WP sector, ultimately impacting the young people we aim to support.

Closing the ramble

There is much more I can say on these matters, but to cut right through all of this, I don’t have an answer or a ‘Silver Bullet’ for you today. What what I can absolutely say doesn’t work is a sustained continuation of further funding cuts. This is a regressive approach that negatively impacts our most disadvantaged young people. If we lose funding, we lose people, passion, and talent, which has been fuelling our sector for so many years. This, in turn, affects the very people we are trying to support, the young people themselves.

Special mention

A quick mention to those I’ve had the pleasure of working with over to years, either through colleagues, NorthClass Forum, partners & collaborators or clients. All of whom I respect immensely and I know have contributed tremendously to this sector for so long. Some A LOT longer than others but I wont mention them individually and age shame them.

Sean Dirrane, Managing Director | Cosmos Engagement Ltd.

Disclaimer: no ChatGTP Bots were harmed in the creation of this blog. Cosmos is a technologically ethical and equal technology opportunity creator. These are my words, all my words which is why this was so long…

PS – interested in learning more? Visit our YouTube channel where we have a host of videos to support you when working with young people!