Christ’s Hospital was awarded the School/College of the Year Gold Award at the UK Social Mobility Awards in London on Thursday 13 October, in recognition and celebration of outstanding commitment to social mobility. This was only 48 hours after receiving the Judges’ Special Award for Contribution to Social Mobility at the Independent School of the Year 2022 awards!
The winners of the 2022 UK Social Mobility Awards (SOMOs) were announced at an Awards Fundraising Gala held at The Royal Lancaster London Hotel on Thursday 13 October. The gala returned as an in-person event for the first time in three years, and saw organisations and institutions committed to advancing social mobility across the UK come together to celebrate their work and share best practice.
The UK Social Mobility Awards were set up to recognise organisations that are prioritising social mobility, for example through recruitment processes and progression programmes, outreach within the local community, or by developing innovative ways to create change. This year’s judges included a panel of esteemed leaders chaired by Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE.
The 2022 awards received the highest number of entries since they were launched in 2017. Entrants came from a range of industries including education, finance, law, media and retail. Business professionals from all over the UK attended the Awards Fundraising Gala in London to watch as the winners were announced.
Christ’s Hospital was Highly Commended in the ‘School/College of the Year’ category. The school supports a large number of less advantaged pupils, with 678 of the 888 students receiving free or reduced cost boarding places. During the pandemic, Christ’s Hospital undertook a range of activities to address socio-economic and educational challenges facing young people. This benefitted more than 1,500 students and over 65 primary schools.
Simon Reid, Head Teacher at Christ’s Hospital commented:
‘Christ’s Hospital school is honoured to be a winner amongst so many organisations that are making such a difference to social mobility in the UK. As the UK’s leading charitable school, we have a deep commitment to driving social mobility through first class education and care for pupils from less advantaged backgrounds. We are determined to enhance our impact and are keen to work with employers and other organisations to support more young people and their families.’
Tunde Banjoko OBE, Founder of The UK Social Mobility Awards, added:
‘The UK Social Mobility Awards is a vehicle to raise awareness of social mobility and showcases the individuals and organisations who are dedicated to its advancement. The number and quality of entries we received for this year’s awards is an indication of the increasing significance of social mobility to UK business. I would like to congratulate Christ’s Hospital for achieving a Gold Award in the School/College of the Year category and for the inspiring work they are doing to further this important movement.’