Pledge founder wins prestigious award

The Social Mobility Pledge’s founder, Rt Hon Justine Greening MP, has been recognised for her work in tackling the UK’s poor record on social mobility. 

The former Secretary of State for Educationhas won the Outstanding Contribution title at this year’s UK Social Mobility Awards.

She received the award at a ceremony at London’s Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square earlier this week.

Justine co-founded thenational Social Mobility Pledge in March 2018. It has since encouraged over 350 organisations representing 2.8 million workers to sign up to a commitment to support social mobility in the UK workplace. 

They include Severn Trent Water, ITV, True Potential, Lincoln University, United Utilities, John Lewis and M&S. 

Justine progressed to frontline politics from a working-class upbringing in which she experienced unemployment in her own family, attended a comprehensive school and became the first member of her family to go to university.

Other winners at the UK Social Mobility Awards included the Ministry of Justice, named Organisation of the Year, and Nissan for Community Programme of the Year.

 Pub chain operator Greene King, construction and property group Kier and the Department for Work and Pensions were also among the winners. 

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