Testimonials

Oualid, Access Project alumnus 2011.

“The Access Project has made a big difference. Before I was a part of it I would never have thought about applying to a top university, but being a part of it made me realise that I’m good enough. I think it would have the same effect on others who join.”

– Oualid, Access Project alumnus 2011.

Adela Read, DECC.

“I am so proud of my tutee. When we first started teaching her she told us she found economics difficult. By engaging with the subject and working hard, she has achieved a “B”. I think this is a great result that reflects her natural ability and determination. It was lovely to meet her. Teaching her added a new and interesting dimension to our working lives. I hope to continue working with the Access Project in the future!”

– Adela Read, DECC.

Karim Ayuni, Booz and Company.

“Community service is an important part of the culture at Booz & Company. The Access Project appealed to me for three reasons. First, I studied for seven years and immensely grew from it and so I recognised the value in helping talented yet disadvantaged students get into top universities. Second, meeting the people behind The Access Project gave me huge confidence that the personal investment we were about to make would be time well spent. Alex is very passionate and dedicated. Third, we acquire many skills in our professional lives that we forget we can use to help the community.”

– Karim Ayuni, Booz and Company.

Richard Verity, Booz and Company.

“What Alex does is ensure that there are expectations for these students to achieve and the one-to-one attention they get tells them that they are wonderful. The immediate results, as we have seen in their A-level grades, are incredible. But if you look at what he is doing on a wider social scale, especially after a summer of rioting, which has been blamed on social immobility and lack of opportunity, he is showing these children that there are real chances to succeed out there and that there are others in the community who will help them get there.”

– Richard Verity, partner, Booz and Company.

Owain Mulligan, tutor.

“The couple of hours a week I spend with my tutee just fly by. I get as much out of our meeting as he does.”

- Owain Mulligan, tutor.

Jethro Margrie, English literature graduate.

“I saw the report on BBC London last night and think that this is a great project and incredibly worthwhile. I’d love to get involved if I can, hopefully by becoming a tutor”

- Jethro Margrie, English literature graduate.

Tim Seymour, The Jackson Foundation.

“We met Alex Kelly through personal connections and were impressed with the clarity of his ideas for improving university access (the potential benefits need no selling). He is clearly very able and energetic and we place a large premium on the ability and commitment of the person/people running the charities we support. Alex and TAP therefore ticked all the boxes. We supported TAP at an early stage, taking the view that Alex was someone of substance, and we admire how he is finding ways of rolling out the early scheme at Highbury into other schools and to make each sustainable and self-sufficient. He also seems to be able to attract good people to work with him and is very good at providing his financial partners/backers with relevant and regular feedback.”

- Tim Seymour, trustee, The Jackson Foundation.

Rosie Gunn, The Bulldog Trust.

“The Bulldog Trust provides finance and advice to The Access Project. We believe in the project’s vision to help motivated students from disadvantaged backgrounds get into top universities and are impressed by their efficient use of resources to achieve this. The success of their students is testament to the effectiveness of their unique long-term, intensive programme. The Access Project is a dynamic, collaborative charity and we thoroughly enjoy working with them. We are pleased to support the charity.”

- Rosie Gunn, Chief Executive, The Bulldog Trust.