Luminate Education Group is awarded the first Bronze as part of a pilot project to develop a pathway for the Race Equality Charter (REC) to small and specialist institutions and research institutes.
The award comes as the pilot programme concludes its initial two-year phase and the Race Equality Charter celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025. The achievement represents a significant milestone in efforts to support these groups of higher education providers and research institutes with their ambitions to advance equality in their contexts.
We are thrilled to be ending this pilot phase with our group's first Bronze award.
"REC Bronze is recognition of an institution's robust foundation for eliminating racial inequalities, developing inclusive cultures and moving from commitment to sustainable and integrated bold and ambitious action.
"Advance HE looks forward to supporting Luminate Education Group as it progresses its action plans to advance race equality and celebrating all members of this cohort submitting in November 2025 and March 2026 as they receive their outcomes.”Anne Mwangi, Head of the Race Equality Charter
Luminate Education Group is a collective of further and higher education providers based in Yorkshire with one clear purpose: to make a positive difference to people’s lives through genuinely transformative education and training. The group has around 30,000 students and over 2,000 members of staff spread across Leeds City College, Leeds Sixth Form College, Pudsey Sixth Form College, Keighley College, and Harrogate College, Leeds Conservatoire and University Centre Leeds.
Dr Jo Tyssen, Group Director of HE Quality and Standards at Luminate Education Group – Leeds Conservatoire and University Centre Leeds, said,
“This Race Equality Charter application has been an ambition for a number of years and follows University Centre Leeds’ engagement with Advance HE as part of the REC SSRI Design Group in 2023, and then expanding to include Leeds Conservatoire with University Centre Leeds in the Race Equality Charter for small and specialist institutions and research institutes pilot.
“It has been a collaborative and empowering journey with Advance HE. We viewed it as a real opportunity for an honest self-assessment and a bold commitment to action, addressing the root causes of race inequality to drive meaningful change.
“We are incredibly honoured by this achievement, and to be the first from the pilot (including college-based HE provider) to achieve REC Bronze is something we are so proud of.
“I cannot thank Advance HE enough for their support in working with members to provide this opportunity and for the recognition of the work that providers such as us contribute to race equity and the HE sector as a whole.”
Mission and impact
The Race Equality Charter's mission is to improve the representation, experience, progression and success of racially minoritised staff and students within higher education. It provides a rigorous framework through which institutions work to critically reflect and act on institutional and cultural barriers.
"Addressing persistent under-representation and inequality is a key focus for Advance HE and our equality charter members, and we're determined to support institutions to see more progress in the coming years," Anne Mwangi added.
Expanding the Charter's reach
The pilot scheme, launched in September 2023, was designed specifically to support successful submissions from small and specialist institutions and research institutes, and assess whether this support is sufficient for those participants.
Participants were given peer-to-peer support, strategic and operational advice and access to existing REC resources. Crucially, the pilot invited members to shape the REC pathways for their sectors, ensuring the Charter remains sector-led while gaining a more nuanced understanding of the race equality landscape in these unique contexts.
Next steps
The pilot has created a sustainable pathway for all research institutes and small and specialist institutions, helping them overcome current barriers and challenges to the Charter journey.
The next cohort is scheduled to begin in March 2026. Institutions interested in participating are encouraged to contact their Head of Membership or email [email protected] for more information.