Brighter futures for boys in the South-West
Community Exe, funded by the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust (ALMT)
Boys across the South-West face complex and interconnected challenges, from access to education, to economic insecurity and rural isolation. Males from the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds are shown to be the least likely group to access higher education, and in the South-West in particular, young people have the lowest educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils of any English region.
Research undertaken by the University of Exeter revealed stark data about engagement in educational outreach programmes, where typically only 33% of participants are boys. It also demonstrated negative perceptions amongst this group of universities as elitist and irrelevant, as well as barriers such as lack of targeted support and difficulties navigating access.
In response, the University of Exeter created Community Exe with generous funding from the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust (ALMT), established by Exeter alumnus Nick Lawson (Economic and Social History, 1994).
Working with 100 male school pupils in the South-West at year 9 onwards from disadvantaged backgrounds, Community Exe is a unique early intervention for boys, using a progressive schedule of individualised activities.
The programme allows participants to gain experience of subjects and industry sectors that align with hobbies and extracurricular areas of interest, perceived by this group to sit outside of the classroom – Sport, Youth Leadership, Music and Communication, as well as AI and Technology.
The programme sees participants develop transferable skills and behaviours which have a positive impact on their achievement at school and in their personal lives. It provides first-hand experience of studying at university, as well as exposure to positive male role models, helping to increase motivation levels whilst supporting the transition to GCSE study.
Feedback from teachers at recruitment stage highlighted the critical need for this bespoke intervention: “We are in a rural area so quite often the reason our school leavers end up NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) is due to not having the confidence to get on a bus to go to college. Sadly, quite often students feel ‘trapped’ by the small town and unable to see how they can do more and achieve higher.”
Parents have spoken of the reassurance gained through connection with programme leaders, with one reflecting that it helped them realise they were not alone in navigating the challenges of raising a teenage boy and trying to give direction. Another parent highlighted the value of seeing their son grow in confidence through experiencing campus life, meeting existing students and spending time independently with peers.
“I founded ALMT with the simple mission to improve the lives of children and young people worldwide. Community Exe stood out to us as an innovative and creative programme that can affect long term change for a highly disadvantaged group. I am delighted to be able to support this programme and in doing so recognise my ongoing connection with the University as an alumnus.” – Nick Lawson
Community Exe would not have been possible without the generosity of the ALMT. Their investment has enabled Community Exe to grow from a recognised need into a transformative programme providing clear pathways to better outcomes for boys in this region.
