Don Manley, ‘Why Gown should do Town more favours’ (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, November 19), is right that it is vitally important for Oxford University to be actively involved in education locally as well as nationally and internationally.
However, he overlooks the excellent work already being done in the local community both by academics and students.
They give their time freely to community events like Oxford Science Week, the Cowley Road Carnival and Oxford Pride, while student volunteering scheme Oxford Hub links volunteers with community projects which are in need of support.
The Magdalen Young Carers project reported on recently in this paper is just one example of the great work being done by Oxford students.
In the Widening Participation Team, we work exclusively with Oxfordshire maintained sector schools to raise educational aspirations and boost performance among young people aged 10 to 16.
From sustained contact programmes over months or years, like the Oxford Young Ambassadors and Compass: Young Carers programmes, to day workshops on Managing Transitions and Exploring Your Oxford, or curriculum enrichment activities like a visit from Marcus’ Marvellous Mathemagicians, we aim to share the university’s outstanding resources and enthusiasm for learning with local school students, their parents and teachers.
We believe passionately that young people should make informed decisions about the full range of educational options open to them after compulsory schooling, and we are doing our utmost to support local schools in delivering this aim.
Sian Renwick, Widening Participation Co-ordinator, Oxford University
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