Upward Bound Graduation Ceremony 2025

On Saturday 5 June, we were delighted to host the 2024-25 Upward Bound Islington Year 10 Graduation at Brewers’ Hall.

Upward Bound Islington, run in partnership between the London Borough of Islington and London Metropolitan University, is a programme aimed at supporting attainment and aspirations for young people in participating Islington secondary schools. Since 2006, Upward Bound has proved to be a valued supplementary educational intervention for Islington schools, supporting more than 1,000 Year 9 and 10 pupils through their GCSEs and beyond. The programme has been successful in raising the attainment of its pupils and continues to surpass national and Borough results. The programme runs on Saturday mornings during term time for 29 weeks each year.

At this end of their time on the programme, students attend a formal graduation ceremony and the Brewers’ Company were delighted to be able to welcome this year’s Year 10 students to Brewers’ Hall for their special day. In front of an audience of very proud family and friends, the students spoke movingly about their experiences on the programme, demonstrated their talents with poetry readings and musical performances, and received certificates and prizes.

Marlon James-Edwards, Manager of Upward Bound, Islington, said: "I am truly grateful to Nick and the Brewers’ Hall staff for hosting this year’s Upward Bound Year 10 Graduation. It was an excellent way to celebrate our young people's two-year journey with us. We really felt the grandeur and history of the building meeting a new generation of future entrepreneurs, politicians, leaders, scientists and educators from the Islington Community. This was a day they will never forget."

The Brewers’ Company is proud to support the Upward Bound programme in Islington through the Dame Alice Owen Foundation.