Chelsea winger Sterling to pay to put 14 students through university

‘I hope this initiative will be a real game-changer’: Chelsea and England star Raheem Sterling makes incredibly generous pledge to put 14 students through university

• Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling is to pay to put 14 students through university
• Sterling has partnered with Kings College London and University of Manchester
• Scholarships will be given to students of Black African and Caribbean heritage 

Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling is to pay to put 14 students through university.

The Raheem Sterling Foundation has partnered with Kings College London and The University of Manchester to provide 14 scholarships to students of Black African and Caribbean heritage from socio-economically under-represented backgrounds.

The first four scholarships (two at King’s and two at Manchester) will be available for students commencing degree programmes in 2023/24. 

There will be a number of opportunities over the next three years for students to apply, with applications open to young people in Greater Manchester and Greater London.

This initiative aims to support equal access to higher education and to close the attainment gap for Black British students as well as increasing social mobility. 

Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling is to pay to put 14 students through university 

Left to right: Abdi Farah (Raheem Sterling Foundation Trustee) President & Principal of King’s College London, Professor Shitij Kapur, Clive Ellington (Raheem Sterling Foundation Chair of Trustees) President and Vice-Chancellor of University of Manchester Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, and Chris Bird (Raheem Sterling Foundation CEO)

Commenting on the partnership, Sterling said: ‘This opportunity will help young people access further education and present them with experiences and opportunities that will enhance their future career prospects. 

‘I hope this initiative will be a real game changer over the next few years and I am delighted to be working with two of the finest universities in the world. I wish the recipients of our funding all the very best and look forward to meeting everyone on campus in Manchester and London later this year’

According to research, less than five per cent of all UK students starting undergraduate degrees in 2021-22 were black. 

Clive Ellington, Chair of Trustees added: ‘At the Raheem Sterling Foundation, we believe that access to better education and employment opportunities should be made fair to all young people regardless of financial circumstances and background. The work we do is in pursuit of improving their opportunities, future careers and quality of life and we won’t rest until we succeed in Raheem’s vision of achieving this.’

This initiative aims to support equal access to higher education and to close the attainment gap for Black British students

‘Partnering with two of the UK’s most outstanding universities, whose strive for change mirrors that of ours, is a real highlight in our journey to date, and we couldn’t be happier to announce our commitment to them and the students over the next three years.’

University of Manchester President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell commented: ‘The Raheem Sterling Foundation partnership will give us additional support to enable talented Black students to access higher education, mitigating financial challenges so they are better able to focus on their studies and realise their full potential.

‘I believe that scholarships are a vital tool in helping students to access and progress through higher education, which is why we are so proud to partner with Raheem to invest in talented Black students in Greater Manchester.’

Source: Read Full Article