From the 20th June to the 20th July 2022 I am running and walking 91 miles as part of Universify's 91 mile challenge.

91 miles is the average distance UK university students travel for university. This distance is a significant barrier for many young people whose background (eg where they're from, socioeconomic background) can make travelling such distances feel impossible and in doing so limit their opportunities to access and fulfil their potential through education. 

Personally, 91 miles will be more than I have run and walked in such a short space of time; it is a personal challenge that acts as a reminder of all the challenges the students who Universify support face to fulfilling their potential in education. It is also a reminder of the resilience and courage students show and how Universify's programme can help spark the confidence in students to recognise their potential and to overcome the barriers they face to fulfilling it.

I am therefore running to support Universify to provide it's transformative programme to 10 students at risk of not fulfilling their potential in education to empower them with the skills, knowledge and belief to thrive and realise their immense ability. 

Not only will supporting Universify help young people from underrepresented and low socioeconomic backgrounds fulfil their potential through education, it will enable Universify to contribute to creating a fairer society where all young people can thrive regardless of their background. 

In particular it will help tackle underrepresentation within university, which perpetuates underrepresentation in society. A degree opens opportunities to otherwise unobtainable career paths, like law, medicine, and teaching. By increasing access to university we improve social mobility, overcome cycles of poverty and disadvantage that perpetuate educational and social inequality and create role models for future generations. At a time where there are more graduate jobs than before the pandemic, increasing access to university and so these roles can make a transformative impact on an increasingly unequal society. 

Thank you for your support as I run and walk and tend to my sore legs and blistered feet to empower more young people and to create a fairer society.