Blackbullion has been named a finalist at the eighth annual UK Social Mobility Awards.
The Awards were established to recognise and celebrate forward-thinking organisations that are actively creating positive social change for their employees and in their communities, by embedding social mobility initiatives into their core business strategy.
Blackbullion has been shortlisted for the work we’re doing with our corporate partners to create more scholarships for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Together, we’ve created over £1 million in new scholarships over the past 12 months – putting more money in students’ pockets, ensuring they can keep studying and in many cases, providing them with employment opportunities too.
For the businesses we partner with, this is bringing true socioeconomic diversity into the talent pipeline and enabling them to deliver on social value, CSR, ESG and social mobility commitments.
Since their launch in 2017, the SOMOs have become an important platform for promoting social mobility in the UK and have attracted entries from leading organisations across the country, spanning multiple sectors.
Vivi Friedgut, Founder & CEO at Blackbullion, said: “We at Blackbullion are acutely aware of the financial challenges faced by students today and how, all too often, it’s students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who are most deeply impacted. With a 142% proportionate increase in students dropping out due to financial distress, something must be done. That’s why we built the UK’s largest hub of scholarships, grants and additional funding for students on the Blackbullion platform and why we’re partnering with forward-thinking businesses and other organisations to add more and more life-changing opportunities for students.”
Jon Hering, Scholarships Lead at Blackbullion, said: “We’re thrilled to be recognised for the work we are doing in creating an ecosystem of scholarships for young people from less-advantaged backgrounds. Blackbullion’s scholarships are the latest initiative supporting our goal of providing all students with the financial wellbeing that they deserve, and we look forward to seeing this solution continue to grow and be adopted by more businesses around the country!”
Tunde Banjoko OBE, Founder of the UK Social Mobility Awards, said: “Our vision is for every employer and educator in the UK to guide meaningful action to achieve socio-economic diversity, equity and inclusion, so we’re thrilled with the action shown by this year’s finalists.”
The awards provide valuable recognition for organisations who are leading the way in social mobility.
Winners for the awards are determined by an independent judging panel, made up of leading figures from business, charity, and the public sector, chaired by the HM Lord Lieutenant of London, Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE.
The winners will be announced at an in-person awards gala in London on Thursday 3rd October 2023.
