Education charity IntoUniversity, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow have launched local education centres in Craigmillar and Govan, offering ground-breaking support to local young people. Image IntoUniversity community centre sessions The collaboration is motivated by a shared concern for children growing up experiencing poverty and a belief in the power of education to transform young people’s lives. The initiative has remained on track and has opened two centres in Govan and Craigmillar in April 2021 and a third (in Maryhill) will open in Autumn 2021. The centres are connecting young people who may never have dreamed of going to university with two of the world’s leading Higher Education Institutions, who share the belief that no young person should be held back by their circumstances or miss out on the choices and opportunities they deserve. The White House, Craigmillar IntoUniversity Craigmillar is based at The White House, an Art Deco former roadhouse inn. A distinctive presence in Craigmillar since it was built in 1936, the restored building is now managed as a community enterprise. ‘IntoUniversity brings a fantastic place-based model of community outreach that complements really well the existing widening access and community outreach that exists across both cities. It will give the University of Edinburgh a chance to build on existing relationships with families and young people, as well as grow new ones. We’ve already been amazed at the doors this collaborative and unique programme has opened and we can’t wait to see how it develops.’ Laura Cattell, Head of Widening Participation, University of Edinburgh Building on the work of schools, the local authority, the universities, and community-led initiatives, the IntoUniversity centre will support Craigmillar’s young people to reach their potential. The centres complement both universities’ widening participation activities, providing community-based support to young people on their doorstep. A total of £4.3 million has been raised by the universities and others to fund the two centres for a pilot period of five years. Later in the year, the centres will be open to visit once allowed under Covid-19 guidelines. More information IntoUniversity Widening participation at Edinburgh This article was published on 2024-07-22
