The Sutton Trust champions social mobility through research, policy influence and programmes. Our agenda-setting research identifies the root causes of low social mobility and promotes effective solutions.
Since 1997 and under the leadership of founder Sir Peter Lampl, the Sutton Trust has worked to address low levels of social mobility in the UK. The Trust fights for social mobility from birth to the workplace so that every young person – no matter who their parents are, what school they go to, or where they live – has the chance to succeed in life.
Social mobility is about ensuring the opportunities open to a young person are not dependent on the economic and social position they were born into. High levels of social mobility mean that people from all backgrounds are able to realise their aspirations and access opportunities through their talents. It’s crucial for creating a fairer society, fostering social cohesion and boosting economic growth.
Yet social mobility in Britain is low. For a child born in the UK today, their chances in life are strongly linked to their parents’ background. Those from high-earning families are more likely to end up going to the best universities and getting top jobs later in life. Put simply, if an opportunity exists, we believe it should be equally open to those from lower income homes as their wealthier peers.
Since 1997, over 50,000 young people have accessed our life-changing programmes and we’ve published over 250 reports on topics including the early years, schools, apprenticeships, access to university and progression to the workplace, many of which have gone on to influence national policy.
