Communities and social responsibility

Universities support local communities in countless ways, from volunteer programmes, to advising local charities and opening up sports facilities and museums to the public. Our work helps people feel connected to their local universities and the important work they do with the community.

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19 November 2025 Publications

19 November 2025 Publications

Generating growth and opportunity across England: briefings

Our briefings on how universities are generating growth and opportunity across the nine regions of England.
23 April 2026 Data

23 April 2026 Data

The transformative role of higher education: new data shows HE study reduces prisoner reoffending by 22%

The latest Ministry of Justice data reveals that prisoners who have engaged in study with The Open University are 22% less likely to reoffend. We spoke to the OU to understand what these findings tell us about the transformative role of higher education.
6 May 2026 Opinion

6 May 2026 Opinion

Actions not words: Universities and antisemitism

Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive of UUK, on how to address rising antisemitism following attendance at a Downing Street summit. Universities can be part of a solution to counter extremism through education while safeguarding free speech and academic freedom.
6 October 2026 Equality, diversity and inclusion

6 October 2026 Equality, diversity and inclusion

The anniversary of 7 October: protest, timing and keeping campuses safe

Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive of UUK, has emphasised that universities have a legal duty to uphold free speech, including the right to protest. As the third anniversary of the 7 October atrocities approaches, we urge students, staff and all members of campus communities to remember that timing matters.
8 October 2026 Insights and analysis

8 October 2026 Insights and analysis

The numbers are strong, but community engagement is what makes them count: what KEF 6 tells us about good growth, universities and knowledge exchange

When the prime minister described "start-ups and scale-ups pouring out of our world-class universities" in his first Labour Conference speech, he captured a real and growing strength of the UK's higher education sector. However, just recognising the scale of UK university research and innovation is only half of the truth. KEF 6 captures this extent of economic output but it also demonstrates that it is when innovative ideas are applied and collaborated on locally - in the towns, high streets and communities of the UK – that they become truly valuable.

Communities and social responsibility

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