It has been announced today that the University of Southampton is a finalist in the University of the Year category in the sixth annual UK Social Mobility Awards (SOMOs).
The UK Social Mobility Awards recognise and celebrate UK organisations in their efforts to improve social mobility within their workforce and beyond. Organised by societal change charity, Making The Leap, the SOMOs were the first national awards dedicated to social mobility, aiming to raise social mobility awareness by sharing the innovative work of forward-thinking organisations working to improve it.
The shortlist for this year comprises organisations and individuals from various industries who have demonstrated their commitment to advancing social mobility and the efficacy of the initiatives they have created.
Gino Graziano, the Director of Widening Participation and Social Mobility, said:
‘I am thrilled that we are finalists for University of the Year at the UK Social Mobility Awards 2022. It is a great reflection of the work staff and students across University of Southampton do toward making the future fairer. We stridently believe that the circumstances you start in shouldn’t determine where you get to in life. We are committed to supporting our local community, and the fact we have reached the final for this award is a testament to our increasingly productive relationship with our neighbours. We will keep our fingers crossed to win, but I am very pleased to get to the final when this is such a competitive field.’
Tunde Banjoko OBE, the Chief Executive of Making The Leap, said:
‘I am delighted with the response to the 2022 UK Social Mobility Awards. The breadth and quality of entries we have received this year is an indication of the ever-growing importance of social mobility to UK business. These awards were established to encourage those UK organisations, for whom social mobility is not their core business, to play their part in addressing this important issue, and the record number of entries is an indication that they wish to do so.’
The winners of this year’s event will be announced at an in-person awards gala on Thursday 13 October 2022.
