Brighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC) is calling on local businesses and employers to support Flourish, a proven mentoring programme that is transforming educational outcomes for students facing socio‑economic disadvantage.
BHASVIC is one of the country’s highest‑performing non‑selective state colleges, supporting nearly 4,000 students annually and achieving A level results significantly above the national average. As part of its mission to transform lives through learning and break down barriers to opportunity, the college has developed Flourish — an in‑house, one‑to‑one mentoring programme designed to help students with lower prior attainment achieve their full academic and personal potential.
A Proven Programme with Measurable Impact
Over the last four years, Flourish has demonstrated outstanding results. Students who engage with the programme show significantly improved retention and achievement compared with peers who are eligible but do not take part. In the first year alone, retention has increased by 15% and achievement by 16%. These outcomes are helping BHASVIC “close the gap” for students from low‑income backgrounds — to the point where Flourish students are now outperforming their peers in terms of academic progress.
The programme works through regular one‑to‑one mentoring sessions across the academic year, focusing on study skills, confidence, self‑advocacy, future aspirations and progression pathways. By helping students learn how to learn, Flourish builds academic confidence, resilience and long‑term success that extends well beyond the classroom.
Why Business Support Matters Now
Until recently, Flourish was supported through national funding streams, including the National Collaborative Outreach Programme and government Covid catch‑up funding. These sources have now ended, and BHASVIC is currently self‑funding the programme at a limited scale.
Each student supported through Flourish costs £500 per year. While the current £15,000 annual budget allows 30 students to be mentored, demand far exceeds capacity. With external sponsorship of £25,000 per year, BHASVIC could support 50 students annually — changing life chances for two full cohorts over a sustained four‑year period.
Every donation is ring‑fenced directly for the programme, with donors receiving an annual impact report, and Gift Aid available where applicable.
Building a Local Education Legacy
BHASVIC is inviting local businesses to become partners in Flourish and help build a lasting education legacy across Brighton & Hove and Sussex. Partner organisations can support the programme through financial sponsorship and also benefit from wider employer engagement opportunities such as student work placements and collaboration with the next generation of local talent.
“This is a powerful opportunity for businesses to invest directly in young people from their own community,” says BHASVIC. “With the right support, these students do not just catch up — they excel.”
Get Involved
Businesses interested in supporting the Flourish mentoring programme are encouraged to get in touch:
Alison Mansell (Governor)
07971 045151
a.mansell@bhasvic.ac.uk
Brighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College
205 Dyke Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 6EG
01273 552200
info@bhasvic.ac.uk