Uni and Trust combine to support looked after young at university
Pictured with the University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob Cryan (left), are SS-FT Trust members (l-r) Karen Sykes, Ben Sykes (Samantha's brother) and Julie Warren Sykes (Samantha's mother).
Wed, 24 Dec 2014 08:48:00 GMT
The University will combine with the Samantha Sykes Foundation Trust to provide mentor support to care leavers during their studies
FEWER than 6% of ‘looked-after’ young people go into university education and in total a third are not in education, employment or training at all with a large percentage involved in crime and going to prison, according to government statistics.
Now a local charity and local university are attempting to help those who do go into higher education by providing a mentorship scheme that will support them whilst they are there.
In a collaboration to aid looked-after children on their route through further and higher education the University of Huddersfield and the Samantha Sykes Foundation Trust have teamed up to fund and provide mentors to help looked-after children go into and beyond their university education.
Set up in memory of Samantha Jade Sykes, who tragically died in 2012 after going to the help of a friend who was in care at the time, the Samantha Sykes Foundation Trust thrives to provide Inspiration through Education. This involves formulating bespoke support packages for young people leaving the care of the local authority who are entering further and higher education.
The amount given from the Trust was £6,000 with the University doubling this amount to a total of £12,000.
Manager of the University’s Wellbeing Services, David Keegan, explained why a mentorship scheme of this kind was of such importance.
“Our experience is that when somebody’s parents are not around they find it more difficult to access support. We find this with students across the board, but obviously the situation is worse for care leavers,” he said.
“As a result the mentoring scheme will make it more accessible for these students to get the support they need not only in terms of their academic work, but emotionally as well.”
The initiative was also warmly welcomed by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob Cryan: “As a university, we aim to inspire our students, so that they achieve great things and fulfil their full potential, no matter what their background might be. For this reason, and with the Trust’s help, we will create a mentorship scheme that will offer the care leavers the inspiration and support they need to make the most out of their education and fulfil their dreams, whether that be getting a career or going on to PhD study.
“We like to associate with inspirational bodies, and in my mind you can’t get more inspirational than the Samantha Sykes Foundation Trust, and I would like to thank them for their kind donation.”
Some of our students from the University of Huddersfield along with Aimhigher and the Frank Buttle Trust, created a film with ITV Fixers encouraging care leavers to stay in education.
