Each year the shortlisted nominees for the NEON Awards gather at the Palace of Westminster for the presentation of the NEON Awards. The 2024 ceremony will take place in Autumn. Nominations for this year’s Awards have now closed.
Now in its eleventh year, the NEON Awards provide a platform to celebrate the successes and accomplishments of NEON’s members, and their learners in widening access to higher education and enabling social mobility. Previous winners have found that winning an award has not only provided recognition from other widening access practitioners but has raised the profile of their work within their own organisations and has helped gain them greater institutional support. Each year we receive around 100 nominations across the categories. The nominations are then scored by a judging panel, before announcing the shortlisted nominees who are invited to the ceremony.
This year NEON has received almost 80 nominations across seven categories:
NEON Widening Access Initiative (Outreach) Award
Future You, Kent and Medway Progression Federation (Shortlisted)
HealthReach – UK Recruitment and Outreach, University of Reading (Shortlisted)
The Discover Course, University of Sheffield (Shortlisted)
Be the Change, Lancaster University
Cook up your Maths, Anglia Ruskin University
Developmental Neurobiology Academy, King’s College London
Fast Forward, University Academy 92 (UA92)
Literacy and Oracy – Storytelling Programme, University of West London
Mature Access Pathway, University of Exeter
Outreach Partnership Programme (OPP), University of Essex
Pathway Opportunity Programme, Queen’s University Belfast
Plan Prepare Provide, University of Leeds
Queen Mary Futures (QM Futures), Queen Mary University of London
Radio NLive Traineeship, University of Northampton
Students in Classrooms – Achievement Coach Scheme, Nottingham Trent University
The Supported Application Scheme, Guildhall School of Music & Drama
UNIQ, the University of Oxford
Y7 Literacy Project, Shaping Futures Uni Connect
Young Carers On Tour, Study Higher Uni Connect
NEON Widening Access Initiative (Retention and Progression) Award
Diversity Mark, University of Kent (Shortlisted)
Exeter Rise, The University of Exeter & upReach (Shortlisted)
The Personal Learning Advice Service, The Open University UK (Shortlisted)
Access & Success Fund, Keele University
Calling and Engagement Service, Nottingham Trent University
Career Confident, Cardiff University
Curriculum Redefined, University of Leeds
Higher Education Learning Mentors (HELMs), Blackpool and The Fylde College
Lifelong Learning Centre, University of Leeds
Middle Ground Network, University of Leeds
Student Advisory Panel, Edge Hill University
Student Inclusion Consultant scheme, Northumbria University
Student Research Experience Placements, University of Leeds
The Lancaster Success Programme, Lancaster University
NEON Widening Access Partnership Award
Guildhall School of Music & Drama, RADA, Theatre Peckham & Young & Talented (Shortlisted)
University of Oxford’s Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach department (UAO) & Rare Recruitment (Shortlisted)
AECC University College, Arts University Bournemouth & Bournemouth University
Birkbeck, University of London & The Mary Ward Centre
Great Yarmouth Primary Academy & the University of East Anglia
King’s College London, St George’s University of London & University College London
Sheffield Hallam University & The University of Sheffield
University of Essex Outreach team & the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
University of Plymouth & Children’s University Trust
Yorkshire Consortium for Equity in Doctoral Education
NEON School or College Widening Access Award
NEON Student of the Year Award
NEON Higher Education Institution of the Year Award
NEON Contribution to Widening Access Award
Please find the Awards’ criteria, by which all entries are judged, by clicking here.