Help the region's young people fulfil their potential
We are committed to working with partners to drive social mobility in our communities to create a more flexible, diverse, and inclusive workforce, future-proofing skills and providing a pipeline of talent. We will do this by igniting aspiration, removing barriers, and providing routes in education tailored to needs. Our outreach and engagement activities help people to access educational resources to learn how to progress and succeed into further study, volunteering and work.
In October 2021, Northumbria and Newcastle Universities worked with IntoUniversity to open the region's first IntoUniversity centre in the east-end of Newcastle. IntoUniversity centres enable disadvantaged 7- to 18-year-olds to discover their passion for learning, develop academic capabilities and soft skills, and access information and advice to thrive through their educational journey and career. In September 2025, to support demand in our region, we opened a second centre in BizSpace Design Works, between Felling and Heworth in Gateshead.
The centres are in neighbourhoods that have high poverty rates and where young people are least likely to progress to higher education. They are accessed by young people who meet the referral criteria, which includes looked after children, young people with free school meal entitlement, refugees, asylum seekers, carers, those in social housing or low-income households, young people who speak English as a second language, have special educational needs or are excluded.
Since 2021, Northumbria University has received over £880,000 from philanthropic donations to fund the centres and this has benefitted more than 4,600 students.
By 2030, we need to raise an additional £460k and are actively seeking partners, who share our social mobility ambitions, to provide philanthropic support for the delivery of the education programme across the Centres as well as experiential learning opportunities for the young people who attend.
There are many ways graduates and businesses can get involved and support activity across both centres. Northumbria University is currently seeking philanthropic partners to support:
- staffing, running costs and learning resources. The current funding shortfall across both Centres is £460,000.
- progression scholarships for each IntoUniversity student, who wishes to study at Northumbria. A donation of £4000 will support 1 student over 3 years of study. In September 2025, 30 students began studying at Northumbria.
Young people access a progressive programme of support, including help with homework, coursework, revision, transitioning to secondary school, university applications, and job application techniques. They learn about jobs and careers, are prepared for university life, and access enrichment activities including employer visits, mentoring by students and local businesses, work experience, internships and university summer schools.
IntoUniversity's unique model focuses on providing local, multi-stranded support to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them achieve their educational and career aspirations. The team at each Centre consists of a Centre Leader, Senior Educational Workers and Educational Workers, who engage the students in a progressive programme of activities.
"A huge thank you to EY Newcastle who are a fantastic champion of IntoUniversity Centres across the North East through meaningful, employee-led volunteering. Thank you for making a difference to the lives of young people in our region"
Dan Monnery, Pro Vice-Chancellor (External Affairs), Northumbria University
"The best thing about IntoUniversity is the up-to-date knowledge than staff come with and the relatability of staff to students. I really notice and appreciate the impact of the one-to-one sessions, as they help our students to prepare for university or the world of work."
Teacher, IntoUniversity Centre
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Impact of INTOUniversity
