Social value of University of Northampton revealed in new national campaign

The value of universities beyond teaching has been laid bare in a new national campaign spearheaded by the University of Northampton, Universities UK (UUK) and ITN Productions.

UUK has developed the “Universities: Improving Futures” campaign to showcase the work that universities are doing not just for their students, but also on the local, national and international stage through their research and work within communities.

The University of Northampton was approached by UUK to highlight its ground-breaking work toward bringing about social impact in the region via projects and partnerships that are of broad benefit to the lives of those who engage with them. The result is a five minute video from ITN Productions – ITN’s bespoke production hub – focusing on the University of Northampton’s involvement in the Roots of Empathy project, which raises levels of empathy in children, resulting in more respectful and caring relationships and reduced levels of bullying and aggression. It also offers an insight into the University’s successful partnership with the award-winning Goodwill Solution CIC, which helps the local community through the creation of projects and schemes designed to improve social welfare.

The programme features key industry interviews and news-style reports along with sponsored editorial profiles.

Vice Chancellor Nick Petford explains in the video: “Universities are fundamentally part of their communities, in fact you may wish to call them social enterprises. The more communities and the wider public get to understand that universities are not just ‘like a big school’- and that we have a whole bunch of value that we offer – then the social value piece is perfectly demonstrated.”

Follow the campaign via the hashtag #UnisImprovingFutures on Twitter.