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Sophie Pender

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Social mobility campaigner
Sophie Pender
Sophie Pender speaking in Manchester in 2024
BornSophie Angela Pender
June 1996 (age 28)
Borehamwood
EducationHertswood Academy
Alma materUniversity of Bristol (BA)
Employer(s)93% Club
Herbert Smith Freehills
Bates Wells Braithwaite
University of Bristol Students' Union
AwardsForbes 30 Under 30 (2022)
Diana Award

Sophie Angela Pender (born 1996) is a British social mobility campaigner and activist. She founded the registered charity the 93% Club, the UK's least exclusive members club for people educated in state schools.

Early life and education

Pender grew up on a council estate in North London. She lost her father to substance abuse. Pender was educated at Hertswood Academy in Borehamwood. She worked two jobs to support herself during her studies, and achieved straight A*s for her A-Levels the first student in her school to do so. Pender studied English at the University of Bristol, and was the first in her family to attend higher education. Pender graduated from the University of Bristol in 2017.

During her time in the University of Bristol she became involved with efforts to improve social mobility, with the University of Bristol Students' Union and the charity Access Aspiration. Whilst an undergraduate student Pender founded the 93 Percent Club. The club became a national network of student societies, who worked with organisations to improve the employability of graduates educated in state schools. Pender has referred to the 93% Club as an alternative Bullingdon Club challenging old boy networks.

Career

After graduating she worked as a city lawyer for Herbert Smith Freehills and Bates Wells Braithwaite before working full-time for the 93% Club.

Awards and honours

Pender was named as Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022, and won the Diana Award and was named a Woman to Watch by The Times in 2017.

References

  1. ^ Anon (2015). "Sophie Angela PENDER". gov.uk. London: Companies House. Archived from the original on 2024-12-06.
  2. ^ Anon (2022). "Sophie Pender, Founder of The 93% Club". forbes.com. Forbes. Archived from the original on 2024-12-06.
  3. ^ Nye, Catrin (2021). "Being proud of going to state school". bbc.com. BBC News. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  4. ^ Verkaik, Robert (2021). "A Bullingdon in reverse: how working-class student club is taking on elitism". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  5. Oliphant, Victoria (2014). "Sobbing student heads to university after receiving straight A*s". borehamwoodtimes.co.uk. Borehamwood Times. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  6. Anon (2014). "Best Ever Results...Again!" (PDF). hertswoodacademy.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-07-09.
  7. ^ Anon (2021). "About". 93percent.club. Archived from the original on 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  8. ^ Brown, Steven (2017). "Student named one of the women to watch 2017". borehamwoodtimes.co.uk. Borehamwood & Elstree Times. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  9. Anon (2024). "Sophie Pender (BA 2017)". bristol.ac.uk. University of Bristol.
  10. Anon (2020). "Our Leadership". 93percent.club. The 93% Club. Archived from the original on 2020-12-21. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  11. ^ Burton, Lucy (2023). "Sophie Pender: The City lawyer smashing the old boys' network". telegraph.co.uk. London: Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2023-11-23.
  12. Sophie Pender on LinkedIn Edit this at Wikidata
  13. Anon (2024). "Sophie Pender". diana-award.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-12-06.
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