The Lancaster Success Programme (LSP) is an opt in programme of activities for undergraduate home students from underrepresented backgrounds. This includes students with disabilities, those who are first in family to go to university, students from low participation neighbourhoods, students from minority ethnic groups, and mature students. Our aim is to help all of our students to get the most out of their university experience, by providing a welcoming and inclusive environment, where students are encouraged to develop their self-awareness and to explore and celebrate their individual versions of success, through a programme of coaching-led opportunities.

The core of the programme is regular 1:1 personal development coaching-led meetings with a dedicated coach. We have a full-time team of four Success Officers who each works with between around 60 to 70 students at any one time and we are also lucky to be able to draw on a wider team of 9 voluntary coaches, who each work with a small number of around 5 students. The meetings are led by the students and topics which come up include: time management and procrastination, personal values, imposter syndrome, making friends, career planning and confidence building.

Through the 1:1 meetings, the Success Officers are able to build long term, trusting relationships and provide a space where students can reflect on and learn from all of their experiences at university. Developing these trusted relationships means that students will often open up about emotional and mental health issues, enabling the team to help the students access the right support for their situation.

In addition to the 1:1 meetings, the team pride themselves on providing low key, small and friendly events for students who find large, more “boisterous” student social events intimidating. Some of our students say they would have left the University if it weren’t for the support of their coach and the connections they made at LSP events, which helped them to realise they are not alone in finding aspects of university life challenging.

One of our students supported by not only the LSP but also a donor funded scholarship for mature students is Clare Roberts.

Clare is in her first year of reading Criminology and Sociology. She is 41 and is a single mum to two grown up children and two children under ten. She lives near Blackpool and commutes by train and bus to Lancaster. The stressful commute, trains are often late or cancelled, and family responsibilities she must juggle alongside her studies are difficult enough, but to add to this, money is also extremely tight for Clare.

Earlier in the year Clare benefitted from the Lancaster Bursary for low-income households and has also accessed some support funding from her college. Clare has also recently been awarded a mature student scholarship. Clare described how this made a huge difference to her, by freeing her mind for a time from the constant worry about money, so that she could concentrate on completing her end of term assignments and begin exam revision.

“The year has been challenging so far. As a mature student with four children and commuting to Lancaster from Lytham St Annes, I don’t have the same ‘uni experience’ that the younger students have. Life is hectic and time is always in short supply, but this extra funding will help ease some financial pressures and give a little peace of mind.”

Clare offered her thanks to all donors who make a real difference for students, and she sends a particular thank you to the donor who enables the invaluable mature student scholarships.