Dr Richard Boffey is Head of AccessHE, the widening participation division of London Higher. He holds a PhD in German Studies from the University of Leeds and, whilst a doctoral student, taught in and delivered outreach sessions for the Faculty of Arts at the University of Leeds. In his current role Richard oversees London Higher’s involvement in several large-scale collaborative outreach projects, including London Uni Connect and the Mayor of London’s Creative Skills Academy. He sits on the Governing Board of London Uni Connect and on the GLA’s Higher Level Skills Advisory Group.

John Butcher is Professor of Inclusive Teaching in Higher Education at the Open University, where he is Director (Access and Open).  He is responsible for the university’s UK-wide Access Programme, and the Open Programme and leads the Access Observatory (the OU’s research centre for Widening Participation). He was Principal Investigator on the research projects ‘Understanding the impact of outreach on access to higher education for disadvantaged adult learners (OFFA, 2017) and ‘Shoe-horned and side-lined: Challenges for part-time learners in the new HE landscape’ (HEA, 2015). Publications include: Developing Effective 16-19 Teaching Skills and Leading Professional Development in Education (both Routledge) as well as numerous journal articles. He is Managing Editor for the international journal Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning.

Head of Widening Participation at the University of Sussex.  She has been working in widening participation for 11 years. Sam’s role leads the Access team who deliver a wide range of programmes including outreach, ambassador development, community partnerships and responsibility for Access and Participation plans. Previous to working in the Higher education sector she taught in further education, ran her own business in solutions focused therapy and worked as a HR and people development consultant. Being first in her family to go on to university, Sam is particularly interested in the role of class, psychological barriers and educational participation.

Stephane is a Principal Lecturer and Lead for Participation and Student Success at the University of Hertfordshire. He has 10 years experience working in Higher Education, and specifically in the fields of student engagement, student experience, student voice, access and success. Stephane completed his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California in History, followed by a MSc in Higher Education from the University of Oxford and finally an EdD from the University of Hertfordshire. Stephane achieved his Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2022. His expertise lies in developing and implementing evidence-based student engagement and support strategies within learning structures, based on partnership principles between staff and students. This is accomplished either by creating new policies or practices, such as adapting layers of support, as well as rolling out activities like blended modules designed to engage students. He also oversees and supervises undergraduate and doctoral research projects.

Dr Wendy Fowle is Associate Dean, Student Outcomes at Oxford Brookes University. She is academic lead for the University’s Access and Participation Plan (APP), ensuring that the student experience and the teaching and learning environment supports students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. Her academic interests in adult learning and widening participation developed through her role as Assistant Director (Access, Participation and Success) at the Open University and she has worked in research roles at the Learning and Skills Council and NACRO – a social justice charity. She is a qualified primary school teacher and has been involved in community-based initiatives over many years. She was awarded her doctorate in February 2022 for research exploring the transformative benefits of higher education to adult learners within the context of widening participation. She is a founding member of the FACE APP Special Interest group which was established in September 2021 and co-Vice-Chair to the FACE Executive. She represents Oxford Brookes’ within the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning, editorial board of the journal ‘Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning’ and NERUPI’s Peer Evaluation Advisory Group.

Baljit Gill, Widening Participation Manager, University of Warwick.I have worked in the education sector for nearly thirty years in a variety of roles, but all with a common focus on social inclusion and equity, and a genuine commitment to the ethos of widening access and participation in higher education.

Gino has worked in widening participation for 20 years. He started his career at London School of Economics where he coordinated early iterations of a range of outreach projects. He then moved to the University of Brighton, where he was Widening Participation Manager responsible for overseeing outreach. Following this he joined the University of Sussex, where he worked in multiple roles including Head of UK Recruitment and Widening Participation. He has been in his current role – Director of Widening Participation and Social Mobility at the University of Southampton – for three years. During this time the University has reorganised how it delivers access and participation work across the student lifecycle and achieved a “Gold and Highly Commended Award” for University of the Year at the Social Mobility UK Awards 2022. Gino’s particular interests are in the evaluation of widening participation and ensuring outreach is done with students rather than to them.

I am currently the Assistant Director (Access, Participation and Success) at the Open University, leading the team responsible for implementing and evaluating access and participation work across the University, including the APP. Immediately before joining the OU in July 2022, I spent four years at the General Medical Council teaching medical ethics to doctors and developing programmes to promote professional behaviour in the NHS. Prior to that, I have spent most of my career delivering outreach and student success initiatives in schools and universities, including several years as Head of Outreach and Widening Participation at the University of Hertfordshire.

On the Monopoly board of life started down the Old Kent Road; missed jail; passed GO, but failed to collect £200. Tony is an experienced manager having worked in the not-for-profit sector, latterly as Chief Executive of a learned medical and scientific society. He has also worked as a visiting lecturer at the University of Westminster, where he taught on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. He joined UEL to teach on the New Beginnings programme, overseeing the transition of the course from the margins to the mainstream. He later joined Continuum, UEL’s Centre for Widening Participation Policy Studies where he managed a range of research and evaluation projects at local, national and international level. Following a restructuring at UEL he left for a short period and recently returned to work on UEL’s pre-entry programmes. He is currently undertaking doctoral research, which focusses on teacher identity in further education, at the University of Nottingham.

Ann-Marie Karadia is Access Officer at The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). She has worked on QAA’s management of the Access Recognition Scheme for over 20 years and is actively involved in a range of qualification development work, most recently development and implementation of the subject descriptor for medicine. Her responsibilities include data analysis, supporting the full range of QAA’s Access to HE activities. She joined QAA in 1999 working with the Director of Institutional review where she gained a valuable insight into quality assurance within higher education.
A passionate advocate for participation in education and for lifelong learning, she is proud to work in a role that facilitates progression to higher education and graduate careers for thousands of adults. A mature student herself, she graduated from the Open University in 2006.
You can find Ann-Marie on Twitter @amk254.

Student Development Manager at Queen’s University, Belfast. Deirdre has extensive experience in the Widening Participation arena including strategic and operational planning and delivery on local and national levels. As Assistant Director of Aimhigher Greater Merseyside she led the strategy for care experienced students establishing the Care leavers networking and championing the Buttle Quality Mark for FE and HE. Deirdre is an assessor for the NECL Quality Mark and sits on the National steering group and the Northern Ireland representative. In her day job, Deirdre is responsible for leading a dynamic team of careers professionals supporting students to be future ready; developing and delivering innovative and engaging programmes that guarantee students have the awareness, skills and knowledge to enter the competitive graduate job market. Deirdre is an accredited coach working with leaders in HE to transform their leadership and overall performance. Deirdre especially loves Coaching outdoors as nature provides a dynamic environment for inviting change.

Dr Lewis Mates is an Education track Associate Professor in Political Theory in the School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University. His research interests are in political history and thought. A first-generation scholar (FGS), Lewis is departmental FGS staff contact. He also leads the University wide FGS Special Interest Group and is co-chair of the Durham University FGS network. At the moment Lewis is working on data analysis of semi-structured interviews with first generations about their experiences in the academic year marred by Covid (2020-21). A blog relating to this work is shared between the FACE website and that of the Political Studies Association (PSA), with the idea of promoting dialogue between the more practitioner and academic-based networks. Lewis’ staff profile is at this link.

Andrew has been a member of the FACE executive group since 2013 and has acted as treasurer since 2018. He is Director of Action on Access Information Hub and Email Briefing Services. Since 1919, a national highly valued, well-used subscriber service, essential for those wanting to stay current with the latest Widening Participation and access initiatives, news, events, vacancies, resources, information and networking. through an electronic platform which has reached over 1,500 managers. Andrew uses his considerable national expertise, organisational experience and networks of contacts- for FACE and to drive Action on Access forward. A long commitment and experience in access, widening participation and student success with all age groups; a background in the national careers service, further education leading student services and adult guidance services and networks underpins all his work to widen and deepen access and participation in education and training, particularly higher education in its diverse forms.

Professor Ross Renton is the Principal of ARU Peterborough, a new university for Peterborough. Professor Renton was previously Senior Pro Vice Chancellor at the University of Worcester, where he held strategic responsibility for key aspects of the student experience, widening participation, employability, international and a range of partnerships and resources.
His experience has included being a designated Widening Participation Expert for the Office for Students, Co-Chair of the Forum for Access and Continuing Education (FACE), Chair of Widening Participation for GuildHE and a main panel member of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) Subject Pilots.
He is also a Visiting Professor at the Open University, and was previously Dean of Students at the University of Hertfordshire.
Professor Renton continues advise both public and private organisations through a range of external roles. His research interests include education policy, and he is regularly invited to contribute his expertise in this area.

Suzanne is a Research Director in NFER’s UK Centre for Policy and Practice Research and Head of the York Office. She leads NFER’s work on education to employment and her key areas of specialism include: post-16 education and training; social mobility; careers information, advice and guidance (IAG); science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); the post-16 teaching workforce; and teacher professional development. Suzanne has expertise, gained over more than 25 years, in undertaking quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research and evaluations for local, regional and national government and private sector clients. Suzanne previously undertook research and consultancy on education and training in AECOM and Shared Intelligence economic development consultancies, supporting the regeneration of socio-economically deprived areas. In her early career, she provided careers IAG to young people in vocational education and training and who were unemployed.

Dr Julie Vuolo is Deputy Head of Widening Access and Student Success at the University of Hertfordshire. Julie has worked in Higher Education since 2003 during which time she has undertaken a variety of roles including Associate Dean of Learning and Teaching and Student Experience, and Head of Department for Nursing, Health and Wellbeing. Julie’s doctorate research focussed on what happens when students, their lecturers and their placement supervisors behave ‘badly’ towards each-other. Her current interests include the use of strengths and asset-based approaches to eliminate barriers to success for disadvantaged and under-represented students.

After graduating from the University of Birmingham in 1995, Sophie spent 4 years as a Police Officer for West Midlands Police, before changing careers to manage support services at Birmingham University’s Guild of Students. Following a role as a mental health lead for a community interest company, she became a Neighbourhood Manager for Birmingham City Council in 2009. In 2011, Sophie moved to Wolverhampton Students’ Union as Deputy Chief Executive and, in August 2015, onto her current post as Chief Executive for Worcester Students’ Union. She has also held a number of volunteering roles, including as a local authority governor, a member of the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Inclusion Board, and is currently an Independent Director on the Board of the OIAHE (Officer for the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education).