Celebrating 25 years of KMPF at the Houses of Parliament

On Thursday, 25 June, colleagues, partners and supporters gathered at the Houses of Parliament to celebrate an important milestone: 25 years of the Kent & Medway Progression Federation (KMPF).

The event brought together the KMPF core team alongside colleagues who have contributed to the partnership over the past 25 years from Higher Education, Further Education and the Third Sector. It was an opportunity to reflect on the partnership’s achievements, recognise the dedication of those involved, and look ahead to the future of widening participation across the region.

The celebration was hosted by Tristan Osborne, MP for Chatham and Aylesford, who reflected on his own teaching career in the region and his long-standing interest in improving educational opportunities for young people. He spoke about his work with KMPF Chair Kim Gunn and his understanding of the challenges surrounding access to and progression into higher education, highlighting the vital role that KMPF continues to play in addressing these issues.

He also congratulated the partnership on its many achievements over the past 25 years, recognising the national acclaim it has received through awards for programmes including Inspiring Minds, Future You and the STEM Attainment-Raising project.

Reflecting on the partnership’s journey, KMPF Chair Kim Gunn spoke about the resilience of KMPF, which has successfully evolved through numerous changes in policy, funding programmes and national priorities while remaining focused on improving opportunities for learners. She thanked former Dr Felicity Dunworth, the former Chair and Director of KMPF, for her instrumental contribution to the partnership’s success and paid tribute to the expertise, commitment and collaboration of colleagues across the network.

Looking to the future, Professor Chris Millward, Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students, shared a vision for widening access that places partnership working, collaboration and responding to local need at its heart. He highlighted KMPF as an example of what can be achieved when organisations work together with a shared purpose to improve outcomes for learners.

A particular highlight of the afternoon was hearing directly from those whose lives have been changed through the partnership’s work.

Our student voice panel featured:

• Luke Underdown, KMPF Project Officer, who shared both the inspiring story of student Luke Davenport and his own personal journey.
• Chianne Flanagan from Canterbury Christ Church University, who spoke about how KMPF broadened her understanding of the higher education opportunities available to her, the positive influence of student ambassadors on her aspirations, and how becoming a student ambassador herself has given her a greater appreciation of the strength of the partnership.
• Abdella Mohammed, who reflected on co-designing a programme for care-experienced young people with KMPF, describing how his own experiences as a care leaver enabled him to connect with and support the young people taking part.

Megan Mawson, KMPF Hub Manager, said:

“As we celebrate this significant anniversary, we thank every colleague, partner, educator, ambassador and student who has contributed to KMPF’s success over the past 25 years. The event in Parliament was a fantastic opportunity to reaffirm our relationships as a partnership and take time to reflect on everything we have achieved together. We are excited about the next chapter for KMPF and look forward to continuing our work to widen access and create opportunities for learners across the region for many years to come.”