Brightside is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a grant from the Westminster Foundation to deliver its Spotlight programme. This will take place in two Westminster schools during the 2025–26 academic year.
This marks the first time Brightside’s Spotlight programme will be delivered in Westminster. Representing an important step in their mission to expand access to high-quality, personalised careers education for young people facing the greatest barriers to social mobility.
The UK has one of the weakest records of social mobility in the developed world, with socioeconomic background significantly influencing attainment, access to higher education, and career prospects. Many young people struggle to make decisions about their future because they lack role models with relevant career experience. In fact, nearly 50% of young people on free school meals say they don’t know anyone with a job they’d like to do.
Career leads are working hard to fill those gaps, but meeting the needs of every pupil, especially those facing additional barriers, is a huge challenge. At Brightside, we believe personalised, 1:1 mentoring is the missing piece, and Spotlight is our answer to this challenge.
Spotlight was designed in collaboration with schools to deliver a meaningful careers programme that meets the needs of each pupil and aligns with six of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. Crucially, our approach is rooted in youth voice: from our youth board and focus groups to co-design sessions and programme surveys, we ensure that young people shape and inform the work we do. Feedback loops are built into our platform, keeping it responsive and relevant.
A tailored approach to careers education
Spotlight is Brightside’s school-based careers education programme, designed to ensure that every young person can see a path to success and feel confident pursuing it. Delivered in close partnership with schools, it combines three interconnected strands:
Pupil voice survey – capturing aspirations, concerns, and barriers directly from young people and enabling schools to shape their careers provision around real needs.
1:1 online mentoring – Year 10 pupils will be matched with trained volunteer mentors to build confidence, broaden horizons, and support informed post-16 decisions.
The career game – a fun, interactive activity delivered to entire year groups (Year 7 or 8), introducing pupils to professionals from a wide range of sectors.
By combining pupil insight with targeted support and engaging, whole-school activities, Spotlight empowers young people to make confident choices about their futures while equipping schools with the tools to strengthen their careers education provision.
Ensuring impact where it’s needed most
With the support of the Westminster Foundation, Spotlight will be introduced in Westminster schools with higher-than-average levels of pupil premium, ensuring that the programme reaches the young people who need it most.
Impact measurement is at the heart of Brightside’s work. Outcomes will be tracked using a combination of pupil surveys, mentoring platform engagement data, and qualitative feedback, all supported by independent analysis via the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT). This robust evaluation process ensures the programme delivers meaningful, measurable change while driving continuous improvement.
A shared commitment to tackling inequality
The Westminster Foundation is an independent grant-making trust and registered charity representing the charitable activity of The Duke of Westminster and Grosvenor businesses. Led by The Duke of Westminster, the Foundation focuses on providing long-term, sustainable support for vulnerable young people and their families, with a clear commitment to tackling the root causes and impacts of inter-generational inequality.
Their belief in the power of early intervention aligns closely with Brightside’s mission to remove barriers to opportunity and ensure every young person has access to the skills, guidance, and confidence they need to succeed.
Leadership comments
“We are hugely grateful to the Westminster Foundation for supporting our expansion into Westminster. Their commitment to giving young people the attention, care, and direction they deserve aligns perfectly with Brightside’s mission to remove barriers to opportunity and social mobility. By working together, we can ensure that more young people see what’s possible for their futures and feel empowered to achieve it. The attention, care, and direction they deserve aligns perfectly with Brightside’s mission to remove barriers to opportunity and social mobility.”
– Brightside CEO Laura Gray
“We’re proud to support Brightside’s Spotlight programme in Westminster schools, helping to expand access to high-quality, personalised careers education for young people who need it most. By investing in opportunities like this, we aim to empower young people with the skills, confidence, and guidance they need to shape their own futures.”
– Bel Crewe, Grants Strategy Manager, Westminster Foundation
About Brightside
Brightside is a social mobility charity that utilises digital mentoring to connect young people with inspiring role models, equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to succeed.
About the Westminster Foundation
The Westminster Foundation is an independent grant-making trust and registered charity, representing the charitable activities of the Duke of Westminster and Grosvenor businesses, which provide long-term sustainable help and direction to vulnerable young people.
