Celebrating Changemakers: FirstGens Receives Prestigious Royal Diana Award
The social enterprise FirstGens is proud to announce that it has been honoured with the prestigious Diana Award for its innovative social action, ability to inspire others and unwavering commitment to levelling the playing field in higher education.
Recognising Changemakers
The Diana Award is widely regarded as one of the most esteemed recognitions in the social action world. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, The Diana Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person aged 9-25 years can receive for their social action or humanitarian work. This is the longest-running award for young people through a retrospective nomination process only. We recognise this for the special occasion and achievement that it is. Young people do not work towards the Diana Award, instead, they demonstrate their suitability through their actions, without any expectation of reward. We are delighted to be recognised and hope this will bring more awareness to the social mobility and first-generation movement.
Driving Positive Change
The Diana Award bestowed upon FirstGens signifies its remarkable achievements to equalise opportunities and break down barriers for first-generation students, a community coined by sociologists as a ‘hidden minority’.
o During FirstGens’ pilot supporting 1st-year students, 90% felt empowered to continue onto their second year at university.
o 60 students have applied for insight days and work experiences as a result of attending the programme.
o £10,000 of underutilised widening participation grants were funnelled to those that needed it the most during the cost of living crisis.
Key Factors Contributing to FirstGens’ Recognition
The success and recognition achieved by FirstGens can be attributed to several key factors:
Passionate Team: FirstGens’ active student ambassadors and professional alumni have played a crucial role in driving its growth and success. FirstGens has an army of volunteers across 23 UK universities who are fuelling the movement that champions equity beyond access in higher education. FirstGens fosters a culture of diversity, transparency, inclusivity, collaboration and continuous learning, empowering students who are the first in their families to pursue university to reach their full potential.
Innovation: FirstGens’ relentless pursuit of access to all has allowed it to develop an innovative programme that leverages technology. Through technology, FirstGens are working to address the nuanced challenges experienced by the first-generation community. By investing in research and development, with the support of the Knowledge Transfer Network, FirstGens remains at the forefront of providing tailored training and development for first-generation students.
Student-Centric Approach: FirstGens places its community of first-generation students at the heart of its work. By actively researching challenges experienced when navigating university, listening to members, understanding the communities’ intersectional needs, and tailoring solutions to meet their specific needs, FirstGens has built enduring relationships and established itself as a trusted support system.
Looking Ahead
The receipt of the Diana Award is a momentous achievement for FirstGens and we view this award as a motivation to reach even greater heights and as an affirmation of our dedication to first-generation students trailblazing the education system.