Celebrating 100 Years Empowering Young People to Succeed
In 1924 our founding Trustees including our namesake Arthur Villiers signed a deed poll, officially registering what was then known as Manor Charitable Trust as a charity. This formalised a commitment to supporting young people which began back in 1909, with the opening of Eton Manor Boys’ Club and later a sports ground to raise the standards of living in Hackney Wick for boys aged 14 to 18.
For the last 100 years, we have focused on addressing one of the UK’s most persistent challenges: improving social mobility. For us the issue is clear, social mobility in the UK remains worse than in many other countries. If a young person is unable to reach their potential because where they live determines the opportunities open to them, this isn’t only a personal loss, but one that impacts their families, their communities, and the social and economic health of our country.
In recent years social mobility has been exacerbated by the lasting effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and cost of living pressures. Young people who receive free school meals are 50% less likely to attend university than their more advantaged peers, and if they do attend, they’re twice as likely to drop out (Department for Education, 2020). And, while apprenticeships can offer a valuable alternative to university, currently only 5% of higher or degree apprenticeships are accessed by people from under-represented backgrounds (Sutton Trust, 2021).
Villiers Park has been changing young people’s life outcomes for 100 years. Although the way we deliver our programmes has changed over time, evolving to remain relevant for the challenges young people face. From our origins in East London through to residential courses, and now collaborative programmes working with schools and colleges in areas of socio-economic disadvantage and inequality, our commitment to young people is unwavering. The young people who join our programmes are just as ambitious as their peers, but they face more barriers, fewer resources and limited access to opportunities. Our personalised programmes, currently delivered to over 2,500 young people per year, provide the tools and support that empower young people to realise their potential and have an equal opportunity to excel in their chosen pathways for education and careers.
Participants on our Future Leaders programme and our alumni gain confidence, skills and motivation to pursue their chosen goals:
"The thing I like most about the programme is the bank of opportunities you are offered and signposted. If your coach doesn’t know something they will go away and research it for you and they offer support every step of the way. I used to be very concerned about getting everything perfect and being in control. If things didn’t go to plan it would upset and frustrate me, especially around tests and exams. I would have negative self-talk rather than telling myself I can do better next time. Now, because of a coaching session on skills, I identified that I wanted to be more reflective, I use things going wrong, not as a failure, but a chance to improve. If everything always geos well, there is no chance to improve and grow." | |
"Before I started on the Future Leaders Programme, I didn’t see myself going to uni. My parents didn’t go to uni so they couldn’t really help with the process or informing me about what it would be like, and they were really worried about the financial impact. I also found a passion. I began to find that (even though it is difficult) Maths is a subject I really enjoyed. Villiers Park saw this and helped me find a university degree, Mechanical Engineering at Newcastle university, one of the best for engineering. Villiers Park inspired me to do more and I will always be thankful for that, my career is on track and I feel I have all the tools I require to finish my journey at university and explore the world of STEM even more. I really do look forward to the future here in the North East as an engineer, where I believe is the heart of British engineering." | |
"For a long time I have wanted to have a gap year after A Levels to improve my Spanish. I loved it at GCSE and A Level and also have time to research universities and courses. Alex was supportive always and helped me explore this idea further. I believe the coaching I received really got me through the low points, especially in year 12 when I thought, I don’t know if I can do this or I’m not sure if my subjects are right for me. But it’s totally normal to doubt your choices at this age, especially when you don’t have people in your family that have been to university so they can’t reassure you like a coach. And I’m really excited about my gap year. I’m also super grateful to know I’ll have Villiers Park to support me with my next steps like applying to university or work." | |
"I attended Villiers Park on for a Biology residential in 2018, where I gained invaluable insights into university life, increased my scientific knowledge, and most importantly left with a sense of achievement and empowerment. Villiers Park inspired me to pursue my dream of studying Biology. As an alumna, I now want to give back to young people from under-represented backgrounds, help them realise their potential and achieve their goals." |
Our longevity and consistent impact has been possible because of dedicated colleagues, trustees, supporters and partners who shared in our mission and values. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has played a part in helping us achieve this milestone.
To celebrate our centenary, we will be sharing the stories of the people who make Villiers Park what it is— young people on our Future Leaders Programme today, alumni, staff, volunteers, and supporters. These are personal stories which share each individual's own journey as well as the lasting and transformational impact of our work over the last 100 years.
Although we celebrate this milestone, the need for our work remains. Social mobility continues to be a significant issue for communities in the UK, and we’re determined that access to opportunities shouldn’t define a young person’s future.
We invite you to join us as we look ahead forwards to the next 100 years. Together, we can empower more young people to realise their potential and build an equitable future.
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