Linking London Uni Connect Update - September 2025

This month, Uni Connect has been busy preparing an exciting line-up of projects and events for the new academic year. 

Kick Start Creative: Inspire the Next Generation

This programme connects students with real pathways into the creative industries. Through in-college workshops, campus visits, and industry-led sessions, bursary-eligible learners can explore how their creativity could lead to university and meaningful careers.  

Kick Start Sports: Using Sport to Open Doors

Aimed at working-class boys with a passion for sport, this project uses sporting activities as a way to introduce wider university and career opportunities. Students take part in workshops, university visits, and activities that highlight how skills like teamwork and resilience can lead to success in higher education and beyond. 

• Kick Start Creative and Sports will launch in two new colleges: NCC Epping and Capital City, alongside Barnet Southgate and West Thames for the Creative strand. 
• We’re welcoming new university partners this term, including Greenwich, West London, and Middlesex, who will support workshops and campus visits. 
• Programmes will kick off in early September with our new student cohort and a dedicated parent webinar. 

Steps to HE Webinar Series (2025/26)

From October to July, we’ll be running free monthly collaborative webinars. Each session will cover a key HE topic – from student finance and choosing courses to apprenticeships and creative careers. These sessions are ideal for Year 12/13 students, as well as parents, carers, and tutors. Easy to access, easy to share, and packed with practical guidance and will feature speakers from Rate My Apprenticeship, My Great First Job, Student Finance England, and university partners including UAL and Northeastern. (Full lineup available in the partner area.) 

Coming Soon: Access Fortnight

We are getting closer to our Access Fortnight which is running again this year from 13th -24th October. This is aimed at current Access to HE learners and pre-Access learners and includes a student finance session with Ben Rutter from Student Finance England, subject specific group sessions delivered in colleges and face to face personal statement sessions. We have had a great response from colleges but there is still space for any partner universities who would be able to deliver sessions in colleges. Please get in touch with Ruby for more information r.runnallspalmer@bbk.ac.uk.