On Monday 20th April, Simon visited the University of Manchester to meet with 25 Sadler Bursary and Sadler Access Bursary Scholars currently studying in their first and second years.
The visit offered the chance to hear directly from the scholars about their experiences at university, how the bursary is supporting them day to day, and the aspirations they are developing for life beyond their studies.
Conversations reflected a wide range of academic interests and career ambitions, with many scholars pointing to the importance of financial security in allowing them to fully engage with their education and the wider opportunities available at university, including involvement in student societies.
The Sadler Bursary provides funding for up to 36 undergraduates for each year of their course.
This programme supports care‑experienced students, providing £10,000 per year for the full duration of their degree. Care‑experienced young people continue to be significantly under‑represented in higher education, with around 15 per cent progressing to university compared with 47 per cent of their non‑care‑experienced peers. The bursary aims to help address this imbalance by reducing financial pressure and supporting students throughout their time at university.
The second programme, called the Sadler Access Bursary, supports additional 30 students who have graduated through the Manchester Access Programme (MAP), the University's flagship widening‑participation initiative for high‑achieving students from Greater Manchester.
Simon is a graduate of The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), where he studied Management, and was the first in his family to attend university. He has previously described the Sadler Bursary as a way to help young people who have had "particularly complicated starts to their lives" to pursue opportunities in higher education and realise their potential.
Applications for the next cohort of Sadler Bursary Scholars are currently open, with a deadline in April 2026.
