Determined to drive social mobility

Helping Communities Thrive: Howes Percival

Until recently, Howes Percival’s work in improving social mobility was driven by individual offices. But while we remain focused on our local communities, we have shifted to a new, firm-wide approach that aims to foster collaboration and achieve more.

Now each of our seven offices has a Social Mobility Champion to coordinate efforts within each office, between offices and within their community.

In our Norwich office, a small group of solicitors got together to discuss social mobility and why they wanted to support this initiative. What soon became apparent was that they were all there for very similar reasons: they all came from poorer, working-class homes, they were all the first within their families and peer groups to attend university, and they all wanted to help others navigate their own paths and to exceed both their own and others’ expectations.

Thankfully, there has been a change in schools since these solicitors received careers advice, but what they all found was that while aspiration wasn’t discouraged, nor was it a given. University brochures weren’t available, so the idea of attending one felt out of reach.

These are personal stories that our solicitors want to share with schools and groups, to show that it is possible to dream and achieve those dreams, whether that be in law or any other profession or vocation. 

It takes spirit and determination for a young person to do something that may not be expected of them. There are often negative voices offering ‘realism’, and there are always concerns about affordability. For me, this meant that, although my parents supported me in going to university and made personal sacrifices, they didn’t allow me to take up a place at UWE Bristol because it was ‘too far away’. These concerns are well-intentioned and often come from fear of the unknown. Our solicitors want to answer some of those questions, allay some of those fears and signpost to where help is available.

The spirit to dream big

Howes Percival wants to inspire other businesses to join us; for them to put forward stories of their own owners, directors, partners and employees to encourage future generations to dream big.

Social mobility is often spoken about in terms of statistics, policies and social reform, but these are our young people and future generations. And the experiences of those growing up in underprivileged households should not be ignored. They have many skills that are key to business – resourcefulness and graft being just two.

What that meeting highlighted was that each journey required spirit and determination, but also for each person, including those that are not solicitors in the firm, there was a key person or moment that made them either start or continue following their dream. If Howes Percival can be that instigator or encourager for just one child, then our efforts will be worth it – though we hope to help as many young people as possible.