About Us

First Campus, a HEFCW funded Reaching Wider Programme, is the South East Wales Reaching Wider Partnership. The partnership consists of all higher education and further education institutions in South East Wales.

First Campus exists to widen access to higher education by tackling barriers to entry, progression and success in higher education. We will achieve this through offering a suite of long-term, sustainable interventions to support attainment raising, increase awareness and provide support for progression to higher education and level 4 learning opportunities.

The purpose of First Campus Reaching Wider is to:

widen access to level 4 HE provision in all modes, locations and with a range of providers;
reduce barriers to entry, and raise educational aspirations and success at level 4 higher education provision, for priority groups;

We prioritise the following groups:

Young people in the final years of primary school to Key stage 4 and Adults over 21 years of age without level 4 qualifications in the bottom two quintiles of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) for the SE Wales region
Care-experienced young people
Carers in all age groups

The First Campus partnership has staff at each of the Higher Education institutions, allowing First Campus to utilise the huge wealth of subject expertise and for activities to take place within and across institutions.

First Campus Team

The University of South Wales

The Hub – First Campus Central Team

Chris Webb – First Campus Director

Allyson Walters – First Campus Operations Manager

Robin Davis– First Campus Data Analyst

University of South Wales Delivery Team

Jane Ellis – First Campus Manager (Adult Learners)

Natalie Kendrick-Doyle – First Campus Officer

Lynda Gyngell – First Campus Officer

Sally Thellwell – First Campus Officer

Nicola Warrick – First Campus Administrator

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Ellie Bevan – First Campus Manager (Young People aged 10 – 16)

Alexandra Nita – First Campus Officer

Ceri Nicolle – First Campus Officer (Secondment)

Christine Prescott – First Campus Administrator

Cardiff University

Andrew Kirby – First Campus Manager (Priority Groups)

Ben Anderson – First Campus Officer

Megan Tabner – First Campus Officer

Cadance Butler – First Campus Administrator

Please use the Contact Us page to get in touch with any queries or questions.

Our Strategy

First Campus’ aims and objectives are outlined in the First Campus Reaching Wider Strategy. The ‘First Campus Reaching Wider Strategy 2018-2022’ is available here:

First Campus Reaching Wider Partnership Strategy

Child Protection Policy

First Campus wants to ensure that it meets its responsibility to safeguard and protect the children it works with and to ensure that the highest possible standards are maintained. It is therefore appropriate that First Campus has clear policies and procedures in place to refer to, when there is a concern regarding a child’s welfare or regarding the conduct of a member of staff. Each HEI within the First Campus partnership has, or is currently finalising, its own Child Protection Policy. The First Campus Child Protection Policy has been produced in accordance with those policies.