Case Study:
Social Mobility Foundation

“Our long-standing and trusted partnership with the Bridge Group enables us to achieve greater impact together.”

The Social Mobility Foundation has had a longstanding relationship with the Bridge Group, originating in the creation of the Social Mobility Employer Index in 2017.

Talking about the relationship between the two charities, Sarah Atkinson, Chief Executive of the Social Mobility Foundation, says: “The Bridge Group and the Social Mobility Foundation have a shared vision of a society where talent from all social backgrounds is properly rewarded. We know our organisations are motivated by the same values and outcomes.  

“Together, we have a powerful combination of skills and experience.”

Sarah describes how the creation of the Social Mobility Employer Index, which was established to encourage firms to become more accessible to individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds, was one of the most successful partnerships: “The Bridge Group’s advice was instrumental in supporting us as we developed the Index, which has been an authoritative influence on social mobility in the United Kingdom.” In 2023, 143 organisations entered the Index, with 102 organisations collecting three or four socio-economic data points on current employees.

Another recent piece of collaborative work was the creation of the Class Pay Gap Guide for employers: a free, practical guide to help organisations calculate their socio-economic pay gap, and set targets. Sarah felt encouraged: “This work has such a strong practical element – taking all the mystery out of class pay gaps and giving organisations the confidence in their abilities to do something proactive.”

Earlier in 2023, research published by the Bridge Group and commissioned by the Social Mobility Foundation, explored the early career and progression experiences of recent graduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Sarah describes the outcomes of the project: “The research found that alumni from our Aspiring Professionals Programme performed significantly better than their peers nationally, demonstrating the positive impact of our programme in enabling young people to succeed in their career goals. However, the research also highlighted additional barriers early career professionals from lower socio-economic backgrounds face in navigating their chosen career pathway and fitting into workplace cultures. 

“We are determined to do more to tackle these barriers and ensure that the young people we support don’t just get in but get on and feel confident they belong in their careers. The next phase is to work out the best way of doing this – through delivery provided by us or by influencing others.”

In all the work we have done together, Sarah acknowledges that it has been fulfilling for individuals to work together, and to share skills and build capacity for our respective teams: “Our long-standing and trusted partnership enables us to achieve greater impact together. Like many other charities, we are not huge organisations, and our capacities are limited in terms of what we can achieve with the resources we have available. This partnership is therefore so important for bringing breadth and mutual support to our respective organisations, as well as ensuring our projects and campaigns exert the maximum reach and influence.”

February 2024