Access and Success at Leeds
Where you grow up shouldn’t decide your future
Thanks to the generosity of our donor community, students at Leeds have access to life‑changing opportunities in a vibrant city where all young people should be able to thrive and prosper.
But right here in Leeds, too many talented children still face barriers that make higher education feel out of reach. For some, it means going to school hungry. For others, it’s never meeting anyone who's been to university. These challenges aren’t about ability: they’re about circumstance. When a child believes university is possible, everything changes.
Did You Know?
- Children in the North of England are more likely to grow up in poverty than anywhere else in the UK — over one million by 2025.
- In Leeds West, a child eligible for free school meals is four times less likely to gain a degree than a child in London.
- The impact goes far beyond exam results: between the extremes of the most and least deprived communities in Leeds, the difference in life expectancy extends to more than 10 years.
- Where you grow up affects your chances.
A degree from the University of Leeds can be transformative, offering unparalleled confidence, skills and opportunities. But for too many young people in Leeds and, across Yorkshire, those same opportunities still feel out of reach. The right intervention at the right moment can change a child’s life - and that is exactly what our early access work is designed to do. When a child believes university is possible, everything changes.
Our work in Leeds
IntoUniversity
We partner with national charity IntoUniversity to support children from as young as seven in some of Leeds’ most disadvantaged communities. Through after‑school sessions, mentoring, and holiday programmes, children grow in confidence, develop new skills, and start to imagine a future that includes higher education.
Filmed at the IntoUniversity Centre in Beeston - and on the University of Leeds campus - young people explain the benefits of this life-changing outreach programme.
Reach for Excellence
For older children with academic potential but limited resources, our Reach for Excellence programme provides subject tasters, study skills, and practical guidance that helps them take their next steps with confidence.
Over the past decade, we’ve supported more than 13,000 young people. Their ambition inspires us every day, but there is still so much more to do.
Changing lives in Leeds
Yusuf - IntoUniversity student
“I first started coming to IntoUniversity when I was in Year 4. Back then, I wasn't interested in school; I only joined because my brother came. But the more I went, the more I became interested in my subjects. I remember doing an ‘elephant toothpaste’ experiment; it sparked my love for Chemistry.
"IntoUniversity has shaped me into who I am today. Now I know I want to go to university to study Medicine, Neuroscience or Pharmacy. Without IntoUniversity, I think I'd still be stuck."
Hassan - Reach for Excellence student
“For those of us who’ve been through the programme, the impact is hard to put into words. At the start, university felt like something for other people. Then I joined Reach for Excellence. I still remember Esmail, a dentistry student ambassador from my area. His story changed everything. Suddenly, I thought ‘maybe I could fit in here’. The summer school gave me confidence I never had. If it wasn't for Reach for Excellence, I might have taken an easier route. Instead, here I am, starting my foundation year. One day, I want to inspire someone else the way Esmail inspired me.”
Pearls (Law 2023) - Reach for Excellence alum
“As a state‑school student from a low‑income background, I always felt I had to work three times harder to access the same opportunities as my peers. My passion for social mobility comes from my experience with Leeds's Reach for Excellence programme. It gave me the tools I needed to be prepared for higher education as a first‑generation student. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.”
Will you help write the next success story?
Why I support Access and Success
Dr Steve Ledger (Medicine 1979) has been supporting our range of Access and Success programmes for a number of years. As a retired GP here in Leeds, Steve has seen first-hand in our local community the importance of early access schemes and the tools and support they offer children in need. He explains the why the initiatives are important to him.
I was the first in my family to go to university, and I never forgot the support I received to help achieve my ambition of a career in medicine.
As a GP in a Leeds community facing many challenges, I saw how many bright children lacked opportunities and guidance.
IntoUniversity and Reach for Excellence widen horizons, build confidence and provide the support young people need to succeed.
These programmes change lives, and I’ve seen it firsthand. I have been privileged to talk to the staff, young school students and their parents at IntoUniversity centres in Harehills and Beeston, listening to their stories about how they are changing perceptions, aspirations and outcomes... These initiatives work.
Join Steve and others who believe in breaking down barriers to education.
£120
could provide a student with a place on IntoUniversity’s Secondary FOCUS programme: a series of workshops and trips designed to increase a students’ knowledge of Higher Education, career opportunities and educational pathways.
£300
could enable a student to take part in a week of concentrated learning on a university degree subject in Year 6 with IntoUniversity.
£1,200
would help deliver UCAS application support and guidance for our Reach for Excellence students.
£3,000
could provide eight IntoUniversity students with a full year of after-school Academic Support
How can I make my gift go further?
By choosing to give regularly by direct debit, you’ll be helping us to build long‑term change, giving children the confidence, skills and encouragement to aim higher every day. You will also join a community of almost 2,000 alumni and supporters who are behind our students and the young people of our region every step of the way, helping us build brighter futures for years to come.
Keep in touch
We love to keep in contact with our global alumni and supporter community and provide updates on the latest from Leeds – including stories about the impact your generosity has across campus. Don’t miss out – update your details today.
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