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93% - The working-class student club tackling social mobility in Higher Education
The 93% Club听was founded in 2016听to听promote social mobility and inclusivity in higher education.听Since听its inception,听the听social enterprise network听has听developed听professional development workshops, policy initiatives,听and outreach activities that have听supported听over听10,000 students听across听UK听higher education.听听
We sat down with听93% Marketing and Communications Director and 香港六合彩中特网听MA student,听Finley Wright,听to听talk about听the听93% Club听at 香港六合彩中特网, its听driving听principles,听long-term听goals,听and听the听#StateSchoolProud campaign.听
Hi Fin,听great to meet you 鈥� can听you听start by telling us a bit about yourself?听
I鈥檓 22 and originally from Leigh on Sea in Essex. I was educated at two state comprehensives听-听Belfairs听Academy to GCSE,听and St. Bernard's High School post-16. I鈥檓 a post-grad听studying an听MSc听in International Planning听at 香港六合彩中特网's Bartlett School of Planning, having completed my undergraduate at QMUL in Politics and International Relations.听
What is the 93% Club?听Is it a support network, a grassroots community听or听a knowledge exchange?听
The 93% Club initially started as a society at the University of Bristol in 2016. It was designed to champion the needs of those from state educated backgrounds, produce a community, and provide a sense of belonging. Founded with the same principles at 香港六合彩中特网,听the 93% Club provides听a听community, but now as part of a larger network of clubs spread across听nearly 50 UK universities, as well as more practical support.听听
We听also听offer upskilling sessions听such as听CV writing, interview simulations, discussions with industry professionals,听and听learning to network;听wellness sessions听on听how to overcome imposter听syndrome and听improve confidence; and听panels and seminars with听senior industry leaders听aimed at听demystifying听certain听professions and听improving听access. We also have a podcast and blog, as well as a policy function, research and advocacy arm.听
How did you听first听find out about the 93%听Club, and what made you want to get involved?听
I was introduced to Sophie Pender before I started at 香港六合彩中特网听and seeing听her passion for social mobility really听energised听me to establish a branch here. I established the club at 香港六合彩中特网 with my听Co-President in May 2020.听However, I decided to听take听a small step back when I joined the听newly formed 93% Foundation鈥檚 Board of Directors.听听
I was educated at comprehensive schools throughout my school career, and in hindsight,听I found it interesting how many students, despite being very bright and talented, did not think听university听was the place for them. I founded the听Club听almost听as听a听favour听to my younger self, who would not have imagined that I would study a听Master鈥檚听at one of the world鈥檚 foremost planning schools.
鈥�We believe that there is a damaging 鈥榩overty of expectation鈥� in the UK, where state educated students are presumed to be unable to fill jobs in boardrooms and the corridors of power - Finley Wright, Bartlett School of Planning MA & 93% Foundation听Marketing and Communications Director
How widespread is听elitism听in听the workplace,听and how much of a barrier is it for students not coming from a privileged background?听
We recently started our #StateSchoolProud campaign in response to this very issue: we believe that there is a damaging 鈥榩overty of expectation鈥� in the UK, where state educated students are presumed to be unable to fill jobs in boardrooms and the corridors of power. That鈥檚 not to say that everyone from state educated backgrounds aspire to fill those positions, but the problem is that the same types of people, with the same types of education and background, are presumed to naturally rise to the top.听听
I think state schools lack resources to provide the material, social,听and cultural capital to enable state educated students to become socially mobile and compete on an equal playing field with their privately educated peers. Our strategy of addressing the gaps, we hope, will remedy this unequal playing field.听听
What are the key messages听and听primary aims of the 93%听Club?听
We aim to connect, upskill,听and empower. By connecting students听together,听we're able to听pool resources and share opportunity. Our upskilling听programmes听are designed to build confidence and enable students to confidently access competitive job sectors. Our empower element is an end goal: students should feel as though the world is open to them and not听precluded听from certain professions or reaching their personal goals.听听
What kind of work does the听93% Club听do?听
The 93% Foundation, and its constituent clubs, is based on a pillar strategy where we work to address unequal material, social, and cultural capitals - I will qualify that we mean a workplace culture - that cause social immobility. Materially we are launching a bursary programme designed to provide students with the funds required to get along and compete. In providing social capital, we aim to produce networks which can be leveraged to promote collective upskilling and industry insights. By cultural capital - we aim to ensure our students are not adversely affected by the social cues, in interviews for instance, that put them on the back foot. We are ultimately seeking to adjust workplace culture away from a model that caters to those from privately educated backgrounds - but that鈥檚 a long-term goal.
Have听there been any听objections听to the听93%听Club?听
Back when the society was founded in 2016, there was a lot of听pushback听from privately educated people who saw the society as divisive. However, since our growth,听people understand that we do not call for the abolition of private schools, nor do we chastise our privately educated friends and peers. Our size today also proves that this issue is not concentrated听in a single听university, but across the UK.听We have also received an enormous amount of support from those who 鈥榳ished the 93%听Club existed when they were at university鈥�.听As we have grown, so has our support,听and听opposition has been slowly eroding as the validity of our argument has become clearer.听听
How big is the 93% Club听at the moment?听Where are the clubs based and where are you expanding to?听
The 93% Club has 47 branches across the UK, over 300 committee members, and nearing 10,000 supporters at each university. Our clubs are spread听far and wide听across the UK, from here at 香港六合彩中特网, to Lancaster, Aberdeen,听and Exeter. We have found that regionally we听operate听very closely听- at 香港六合彩中特网 we work very closely with our sister clubs at听KCL (King s College London), QMUL, RHUL, City, Southbank, UWL and Birkbeck. As听a听charity we are allowed to听operate听in the UK and Ireland - and we are currently听in the process of establishing听our first Irish branch.听So onwards and upwards I would say!听听
What are the听93%听Club's听future plans?听
I will be leaving the 香港六合彩中特网 branch when I graduate in September 2021, but I will be leaving it in capable hands. At the Foundation we are currently developing our strategy for the next year and when the campaign ends, we will be holding our first summit, which will be a national event run by the foundation. It will act as an effective AGM and training session for all our听clubs and听introduce our new industry advisory board which will be formed of senior professionals from a range of sectors. The summit will also usher in our听Milkround听training sessions which will prepare students for the application season that typically runs Sept-Dec!听
We're also in consultation with our sponsors and financial advisors over launching a bursary sometime in the future, which will be available for state educated students nationwide who are members of a 93% club at either university level, or foundation-level.听However, this time last year we could not have imagined where we are today - so who knows where we will be heading.听听
For more information on the 93% Club go to听.听You can follow the 香港六合彩中特网 branch听on听Instagram听.听
