England and Chelsea star Raheem Sterling has launched a scholarship fund aimed at bridging the gap in the number of black British students going to university.
The Footballers Foundation will provide financial support to 14 students to study at either Manchester University or King’s College London.
The footballer said he hoped it would improve social mobility.
The first four scholarships will be awarded to students starting their studies in 2023/24.
Research from King’s College London in 2021/22 showed that less than 5% of all UK students embarking on an undergraduate degree at Russell Group universities were black.
government data, external As was also evident in the 2019/20 academic year, only 8.7% of undergraduate students in the UK were black.
Sterling said: “I hope this initiative will be a real game changer in the years to come and I’m delighted to be working with two of the best universities in the world.
“I wish the recipients of our grant well and look forward to meeting everyone on the Manchester and London campuses later this year.”
Clive Ellington, Chair of the Board of Trustees, added: “At the Raheem Sterling Foundation, we believe that access to better education and employment opportunities should be equitable to all young people, regardless of their financial circumstances or background.
“The work we do is aimed at improving their opportunities, their future careers and their quality of life, and we will not rest until we succeed in Raheem’s vision of making that happen.”
The President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester, Prof Dame Nancy Rothwell, said the scheme would give the university additional support to “give talented black students access to higher education and alleviate financial challenges so they can better focus on their studies concentrate and be able to perform at their best potential”.
President and Rector of King’s College London, Prof Shitij Kapur said: “Expanding participation in higher education makes King’s and the whole world a better place.”
Follow BBC London on Facebook, external, Twitter, external and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to hellobclondon@bbc.co.uk, external
Add Comment