The University of Westminster’s mission has always gone beyond serving our students alone – our doors have always been open to the communities living around our Central London campuses. In understanding our position as an institution capable of having an impact on our local community, we aim to provide outreach sessions, to groups within it, such as pre-University young people or BAME entrepreneurs. We also offer knowledge exchange sessions, to allow our current student bodies to interact with both industry and the vibrant London community. 

29MR was always envisaged as a centre for welcoming both students, and the wider community through its doors, to establish a melting pot of productivity. The building’s state-of-the-art facilities will enable us to host a range of workshops in one site – particularly targeting BAME and underrepresented communities, in line with one of 29MR’s central goals – to promote inclusive entrepreneurship. 

Case Study: the Saturday Skills’ Clubs 

The University of Westminster’s Saturday Skills Clubs offer students from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to develop skills in a broad range of fields, from gaming to animation – boosting their knowledge and employability. 

Markos Mentzelopoulos, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and Engineering, has been running Computer Games Design Saturday Skills’ Club for some time, in which 16-to-18-year-olds work together to produce a publishable game demo.  

“It gets them to directly understand the technical requirements to become developers,” Markos explained. “They learn collaboration skills, working with people they haven’t met before. They meet industry professionals.” 

This year, for the first time, the Skills’ Club has been supported by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), as part of its new partnership with Westminster to bring more BAME students to the tech industry.  

The sponsorship means Skills’ Club students now get to present their prototype games directly to SIE professionals. The course has also been extended from 7 or 8, to 10 weeks. Around half are of all participants were BAME this year, and they hope to increase this proportion next year, Markos says.  

Previously, a 2017 Art and Design Saturday Club introduced 13–16-year-olds to the world of animation, with workshops that included a masterclass led by Peppa Pig’s lead animator.  

“The Saturday Club was the most amazing and memorable experience,” said Hannah, one of the young participants. “And after going, I want to be an animator and work in a studio every day. I have learned so much about animation due to the very talented tutors.” 

Knowledge Exchange in the Community 

Knowledge Exchange is as much about what Westminster students can give back to the community as what the community groups can give to our students.  

Sessions will be open to socially disadvantaged, BAME and (possibly, in the future, immigrant) communities, as well as diverse groups such as LGBTQ+ communities, and SMEs. This is where the “exchange” comes in, as it is a chance for students to teach as well as learn, all the while developing connections and fostering roots in the local community.  

Our newest community facility, 29MR, is a safe environment where diverse collectives can come together and learn from one another.

Why Corporate Organisations choose Westminster as their partner organisation? 

The majority of the corporate organisations are looking to support underrepresented communities as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility programs. 

Here at Westminster, we tailor programmes to align with funders’ strategies and priorities – such as increasing diversity in a particular sector. 

Through 29MR, we are planning to take our existing outreach programmes to the next level – taking advantage of our new specialist equipment and the closer engagement with local communities. 

As well as the positive brand recognition, sponsorships of this kind also give corporates a chance to build relationships with the next generation of talent within the industry. The benefits to increasing diversity and inclusion in any given industry are also widely understood – from bringing in new ideas, to engaging wider consumer demographics.

As one of the UK’s most diverse universities, Westminster is the perfect partner to help build diversity across your company and wider industry and help to uncover the next generation of talent. To discuss how your organisation can support various community groups or a programme aligning with your strategy, please get in touch with us at development@westminster.ac.uk