The Key Project recognised by Lord Mayor's Dragon Awards

Slaughter and May won a prestigious Dragon Award from the City of London, hosted by the Lord Mayor at Mansion House, for our flagship social mobility programme, the Key Project. The event was attended by representatives from City businesses, charities and others to recognise businesses and public offices that go above and beyond their core work to significantly impact the regeneration of their local communities.

Working with Central Foundation Boy’s School, Slaughter and May partners with The Access Project to help motivated students from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve places at top universities through the Key Project. Students receive weekly academic tutorials from the firm's volunteers as well as access to university application support and enrichment in the form of work experience and confidence and articulacy workshops.

There are currently 90 students benefitting from the scheme, which runs from the age of 13 to leaving school. Volunteers gave 1,535 hours of tutoring in the last academic year with 85% of volunteers reporting that participation in the Key Project had developed their work skills. The school achieved their best ever exam results in 2013 and 42% of students received Russell Group University offers in 2014 compared to 0% before the project began.