FOREVER: KEELE - Keele University

Keele for Life
In 2002, Antony Sutcliffe (2008) was a
local Stoke student who had just dropped
out of his A-Levels. Now he works at the
University as an Outreach Officer,
overseeing community engagement
projects and running summer schools. We
asked Ant why is he is so passionate
about inspiring young people to go into
further education.
Tell us a bit about your background?
I’m originally from Burslem in Stoke-on-
Trent so I’ve been familiar with the
University ever since I can remember.
You work as part of the Recruitment,
Outreach and Access team, how did you
find out about the programme?
I attended one of the Keele Link sessions
when I was at school in 2001. I really
enjoyed it and it changed the way I
viewed education.
So did it inspire you to come to study
at Keele?
Yes and no. I was a bit of an unruly
teenager and dropped out of my A-Levels
after a few months. I got a job at a fruit
and veg warehouse and never thought I’d
end up at University. My girlfriend was
doing her A-Levels at the time and she
encouraged me to go back and study.
After getting my A-Levels we both
enrolled at Keele in 2005 and we got
married a few years later!
So when did you join the Outreach team?
When I became a student at Keele I was
actively involved in community projects,
joining the widening participation scheme
and helping at a number of summer
schools and term-time events. As I was
coming to the end of my studies in 2008,
I found out about a vacancy in the team
and secured an interview on the very
same day as my last exam! It was a
stressful day to say the least but just as I
got home I got the call to say I’d got the
job. I never looked back!
What does your day-to-day job involve?
My job is to liaise with community groups
and local schools to arrange for them to
attend Outreach sessions. One of the
biggest projects I worked on was the IAG
Roadshow, offering advice and help to
more than 3,000 local young people last
year. We also run a range of school
sessions, which encourage young people
to get involved in subjects such as English
and Science by engaging in fun activities.
Some sessions involve dressing up as
Harry Potter and we can transport an
inflatable Stardome to local schools. My
job is pretty varied and
very rewarding.
Why do you think it’s important for
universities to engage with young people?
Universities shouldn’t underestimate the
impact that this sort of activity can have.
Just last year I received a letter from a
student saying how much one of our
sessions changed his life. I believe that
education is key to liberating young
people by giving them the confidence to
raise their aspirations and to achieve
things they didn’t think were possible.
Kate Dawson
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