Jane Robinson, Newcastle University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for Engagement and Place, is cycling the entire length of Great Britain to fundraise for IntoUniversity Newcastle East, a new education centre established in partnership with Northumbria University to raise aspirations in the region.
Setting off from Land’s End in the southwest of England on 31 July, Jane will cover approximately 1,000 miles in a fortnight, aiming to arrive at John o’ Groats in the northeast of Scotland by mid-August.
Through the challenge, Jane hopes to raise money for the new IntoUniversity Newcastle East centre in Walker, Newcastle. The centre opened earlier this year and is a partnership between Newcastle and Northumbria Universities to support young people in the region and improve the number of students successfully applying to higher education from the North East.
Jane is the University's first Pro-Vice Chancellor, Engagement and Place, joining in 2019. She leads the University's Engagement & Place Strategy, focusing on building partnerships to enhance our contribution socially, economically and culturally. She had a crucial role in establishing the partnership with IntoUniversity and Northumbria University to open the Newcastle East Centre.
I have always wanted to take on the Land’s End to John o’ Groats challenge, and like many people, the pandemic made me think about seizing the moment and making time for the things which are important. I wanted to raise funds for a cause that made a real difference. I’ve lived and worked in the North East for most of my life and I have seen the difference that education can make, but also the barriers that stand in the way of many to realise their potential.
Jane Robinson, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Engagement and Place
The UCAS End of Cycle Report (2018) highlighted that the North East has the lowest application rate to Higher Education (33.7%) and the second lowest entry rate (29.6%) in England. The centre provides additional educational support to those aged 7-18, connecting many young people, who may never have dreamed of going to university, with two leading Higher Education Institutions to nurture their ambitions.
Since the IntoUniversity Newcastle East Centre opened in October 2021, over 500 Primary and Secondary students from local schools have taken part in the centre activity which includes after-school academic support and mentoring with current students from Newcastle and Northumbria Universities.
The Centre has also held FOCUS workshops for both Primary and Secondary school students, raising awareness of Higher Education and career opportunities through a structured programme of workshops and trips.
Across the country, 66% of school leavers who attended IntoUniversity centres in 2021 went on to progress to university, compared with 26.6% of students from similar backgrounds nationally.
In preparation for the challenge, Jane has been cycling into work from her home in Wylam, and recently completed the Coast2Coast 140-mile route from Whitehaven to Tynemouth. This means that by the end of the year, Jane will have cycled both the length and breadth of the UK!
