Family and friends gathered together at the House of Lords today to celebrate the achievement of more than 85 students who have successfully moved from FE into HE with the help of bursaries and support from the Helena Kennedy Foundation.

The students, many of whom have come from disadvantaged backgrounds and have overcome a variety of obstacles, have now progressed from FE colleges into higher education. OCR has been proudly supporting this event for the last five years.

Each student selected by the Helena Kennedy Foundation received a bursary of £1500 to help cover the costs of their study at university, as well as on-going guidance and training from the Foundation.  

The Helena Kennedy Foundation was set up in Baroness Kennedy’s name over 15 years ago to take forward the findings of her seminal ‘Learning Works’ report. Speaking at the event, Baroness Kennedy said: “It is an honour to support such inspirational and deserving people in their rise to success. Presenting these students with one of our awards in acknowledgment of their achievements at university marks a crucial milestone in their lives and future careers”.

Charlotte Bosworth, Director of Skills and Employment at OCR, commented: “It has been inspirational to meet today’s bursary recipients, all of whom have demonstrated true resilience in the face of difficult circumstances. It is a privilege to hear their stories of success and to witness first-hand the potential of the FE sector once barriers have been removed. Thanks to the Foundation’s support and their own hard work and talent, their futures look very bright.”

Some of the students, family and friends at the celebration event at the House of Lords on Monday 2 March. Baroness Helena Kennedy is pictured front row, second from right. 

For more information about the Foundation, including applications for the 2015 awards, please visit the Helena Kennedy Foundation website.