Funding boost for Leeds projects that open doors to higher education for all

More than £100,000 in funding has been handed to community projects that will help open the door to higher education for young people from different backgrounds across Leeds and West Yorkshire.
Thursday's celebration event at the St George's Centre in Leeds.Thursday's celebration event at the St George's Centre in Leeds.
Thursday's celebration event at the St George's Centre in Leeds.

The funding was made available earlier this year through a partnership of 12 colleges and universities called Go Higher West Yorkshire, working with the Leeds Community Foundation charity.

Grants of up to £15,000 were on offer for projects designed to develop awareness of the benefits of higher education among young people from areas where rates of progression are currently low.

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And yesterday the successful applicants gathered for a celebration event at the St George’s Centre in the middle of Leeds.

A total of £130,000 is being distributed to 14 projects in West Yorkshire, including Leeds-based Heads Together Productions, which will use community radio to create programmes looking at how higher education works.

The other successful applicants from Leeds are St Luke’s Cares, The Works Skatepark and Space2.

Groups from the Wakefield district awarded funding include Spectrum People and Tigers Trust.

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Leeds Community Foundation partnerships director Pip Goff said: “It has been a privilege to work with Go Higher West Yorkshire on this programme. We were overwhelmed by the quality of the applications.

“It was brilliant to have the input of sixth form students and local parents who joined our independent decision making panel and we are delighted to have been able to fund 14 fantastic community groups.

“We are looking forward to following the progress of each of the projects to see the outcomes of their activities and the positive impact they will have on the lives of local young people.”

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