“I enjoy talking to my coach” – Ray is building skills for the future
Ray is a year 12 student from Lancashire. When he started studying his A levels, Ray also joined The Access Project — for mentoring, skills coaching, and an extra boost to help his university applications.
A keen historian, Ray has ambitions of studying history at a top university. He aspires to work in a museum and pass on his love of history to the next generation.
“The Access Project introduced me to a list of top tier universities, which supported my university research. I’d like to go to the University of Manchester and study history. They have a museum you can work at. I think history is important, and I want to help children to enjoy history.”
Ray is one of hundreds of students enrolled with The Access Project working to break barriers to higher education. Under-resourced young people are three times less likely to attend a top university than their wealthier peers. But with help from The Access Project, young people like Ray are building skills for higher education — making them 1.5x more likely to attend university.
Skills for Access coaching at The Access Project
Alongside his A level studies, Ray takes part in Skills for Access sessions with a dedicated volunteer coach. In coaching sessions, pupils like Ray explore essential, transferable skills that will help them succeed in school and beyond.
“I enjoy talking to my coach. So far in the sessions we’ve looked at time management and communication. I know what I need to work on, and my coach helps me set clear goals.”
Ray said that coaching has helped him become more self-motivated.
“I have struggled in the past with motivating myself to do things. Its something I’m working on. My motivation has increased since the sessions with my skills coach and it has given me something to focus on. Schedules are difficult for me, but my coaching has helped with this.
“Now I’ve got a framework for what gets me good grades, I can continue to work on that.”
Widening participation at The Queen’s College, Oxford
In March 2026, Ray attended a residential visit at The Queen’s College, University of Oxford — an annual trip giving year 12 pupils their first taste of university.
Over two days, Ray and his peers explored life at Oxford and took part in subject taster sessions, sampling lectures in history, Italian, tropical medicine, and material science.
The Queen’s College, Oxford, helps to fund The Access Project’s programme in Lancashire – meaning students can attend the residential and access university advice for free.
The Access Project helps young people from under-resourced backgrounds achieve their academic potential and place at top universities. By donating to our programme or volunteering with us, you’re helping the country’s most under-resourced young people find their way to a brighter future.