'KU Cares' news articles
Your search returned 9 news stories:
Care leaver and single mum overcomes obstacles to graduate at Kingston University after emigrating from Africa
Posted Friday 16 July 2021
After losing her mother and giving birth to a baby girl in her teenage years, Zainab Sillah decided she wanted to make a better life for herself and move to England from her native Gambia. Upon arrival in the country, with her daughter following her as soon as she was allowed to, she was placed into care as an unaccompanied minor. Just seven years later, she is about to graduate from Kingston University with a degree in Working with Children and Young People: Social Pedagogy.
"Even when I was growing up in Gambia and didn't have the means to go to university, it's always something I knew I wanted to do. I had the passion to work in healthcare as a nurse or a social worker from a young age," Zainab recalled when reflecting on her childhood goals....
KU Cares' Emily Hughes awarded NEON Lifetime Achievement Award for significant achievements during her life and career
Posted Wednesday 7 July 2021
Emily Hughes, who was instrumental in developing Kingston University's KU Cares programme in her role as access and inclusion manager, has been recognised with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's NEON Awards.
Hosted online earlier this June, the annual NEON Awards provides a platform which celebrates the successes and accomplishments of NEON's members and their learners in widening access to higher education and enabling social mobility....
Kingston University's award-winning KU Cares programme celebrates 15 years of helping students access higher education
Posted Thursday 14 January 2021
A pioneering scheme run by Kingston University that supports young people from marginalised groups to have equal opportunities in higher education is marking its 15 year anniversary.
KU Cares was originally launched to assist young people going to university from care and, over the years, has expanded to include students estranged from their parents and families, young adult carers and sanctuary scholars with refugee or asylum seeker status....
Kingston University access, participation and inclusion expert reflects on KU Cares' history and next steps advancing equal opportunity for students
Posted Thursday 14 January 2021
KU Cares is Kingston University's support programme for students who come from care backgrounds, are estranged from their families, are young adult carers or sanctuary scholars. As the scheme celebrates 15 years, he University's Head of Access, Participation and Inclusion Jenni Woods reflects on the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and the next steps to advance equal opportunity for young people from marginalised groups.
A day in the life of a young adult carer supported by Kingston University's pioneering KU Cares programme
Posted Thursday 14 January 2021
Emily Dawson was supported by KU Cares at Kingston University while caring for her mum and seven younger siblings. As part of the 15 year anniversary of the programme, Emily tells us in her own words the challenges she faced and how she managed them.
I graduated from Kingston University last year with a BA (Hons) in English literature and managed to achieve a 2:1, despite my caring responsibilities. ...
Supporting Kingston University's KU Cares students over Christmas
Posted Wednesday 9 December 2020
As millions of people get together with their families and friends for Christmas, in line with government guidelines, Kingston University is planning to ensure its care leavers and estranged students are supported throughout the festive period. Access and support adviser for the KU Cares scheme Beth Taswell explains how the programme has adapted in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Estranged Students Solidarity Week – how Kingston University supports estranged students throughout their studies
Posted Friday 27 November 2020
Estrangement is when a person has lost or broken contact with their family. People can become estranged for any number of reasons, such as abuse, a clash of beliefs, religion or values and parental rejection of their LGBTQI+ identity among many others. This can be a long slow process, or a sharp and sudden break. For young students who experience estrangement from their parents, this often results in their university being their only network of support with the absence of a ‘safety net'.
Unlike a lot of students, the estranged learners we support through KU Cares do not have the security of family and the comfort of knowing that they will be there to support them when things get tough - even if it's just in regards to borrowing a bit of money or having a parent message to see if they're ok....
Determined care leavers should be given more job opportunities, Kingston University Vice-Chancellor tells key summit during National Care Leavers' Week
Posted Monday 2 November 2020
Businesses have been called upon to employ more care leavers by Kingston University's Vice-Chancellor Professor Steven Spier during a panel talk to celebrate National Care Leavers' Week.
The discussion was a key part of the Empathy Summit, organised by the Care Leaver Covenant and social value agency Spectra, which highlighted the challenges care leavers face, the importance of empathy and what education and business can do to support them....
