The 93% Club: How Britain’s State-Educated Majority Is Building a New Network of Power

The 93% Club is a British social-mobility charity and membership network created for people educated in state schools. Its purpose is to give state-educated students, graduates and professionals access to the contacts, guidance and confidence often linked with private-school networks. The name reflects the large share of people in Britain who attend state schools. Although state-educated people form the clear majority, privately educated people have long held a strong presence in senior roles across law, politics, finance, media and business. The organisation wants to reduce that imbalance.

How The 93% Club Started

Sophie Pender’s Experience at University

Sophie Pender founded the network while studying English at the University of Bristol. She entered university in 2014 as the first person in her family to reach higher education. Pender grew up on a council estate in North London. She worked part-time at McDonald’s beside her studies and achieved three A* grades at A level. Even with strong academic results, she soon realised that university success depended on more than ability. At 19, she created a Facebook group for state-school students at Bristol. It became a university society and later developed into a national movement.

Expansion Beyond Bristol

The first club began in 2016. A second branch opened at Durham University in 2018, followed by groups at other campuses. During the Covid-19 period, activities moved online. This allowed students from many universities to join workshops, talks and national events. By 2020, the network had reached more than 10,000 students across over 45 universities. The 93 Percent Club Foundation became a registered charity in December 2020. This gave the organisation a stronger legal base and helped it grow beyond student societies.

Today, the network has more than 32,000 members and a presence across 53 university campuses. Its registered charity number is 1192823. The central team operates from London, while student committees and volunteers deliver local activities across Britain. This structure allows national support to reach members through both online services and campus communities.

The Mission of The 93% Club

The main goal is to transform what it means to be state educated in Britain. The organisation wants state-school education to be seen as a source of pride, strength and ambition. The network aims to make universities and workplaces easier to enter and understand. It gives members access to people who can explain unwritten rules, offer practical advice and open doors.

Tackling Hidden Career Barriers

Some career barriers are difficult to see. A student may not know how to contact a partner at a law firm, ask for work experience or prepare for a formal interview. Private-school connections can last for decades through alumni groups, social events and personal introductions. State-school pupils may leave education without any similar support. The organisation responds by building a network based on shared educational experience. Members can receive mentoring, career support, employer access and introductions to people in senior roles.

The 93% Club Quick Information

The 93% Club for Students

Student membership is free. University branches organise social events, careers sessions, employer talks, workshops and discussions about class and social mobility. Each university society can respond to local needs. Some focus on affordable social events. Others address accent prejudice, cost-of-living pressure or the feeling of being out of place in wealthy university settings.

Confidence and Belonging

The student community also helps members form friendships with people who understand similar pressures. By meeting others from similar backgrounds, members can feel less isolated. The community gives them a place where they do not need to hide their upbringing or change the way they speak.

Professional Membership

The professional network supports state-educated people after graduation. It connects members across industries, cities and levels of seniority. The model encourages established members to help those starting their careers. Part of the income from professional membership supports free student services, creating a pay-it-forward system in which one generation helps the next.

Careers and Employer Partnerships

The careers division works with employers that want to recruit more state-educated talent. It connects members with internships, placements, graduate schemes and permanent roles. A commercial subsidiary called 93 Percent Talent Limited supports recruitment and employer services. Its work sits beside the charity, and its income strengthens the wider mission.

The Social Mobility Factory

The Social Mobility Factory is one of the organisation’s main careers events. It brings students, graduates, professionals and employers together in one place. Attendees can receive CV guidance, mock interviews, professional photographs and direct access to recruiters. Workshops help members understand competitive industries and employer expectations. The 2026 event is due to take place at Tobacco Dock in London. More than 1,000 people and dozens of employers are expected to attend. Support for selected students can include free entry, food and travel.

Campaigns Led by The 93% Club

#StateSchoolProud

#StateSchoolProud encourages people to speak openly and positively about attending a state school. The campaign challenges the belief that someone must distance themselves from their background before being accepted in a powerful institution. It presents state education as a source of resilience, independence and determination.

Made in State School

Made in State School celebrates successful people who attended British state schools. Heritage-style plaques are placed on school gates to honour former pupils from science, sport, business, culture and public life. The idea gives current pupils visible role models and shows that major careers can begin in ordinary classrooms and local communities.

Evidence of Social Impact

The Big State School Survey gathered responses from more than 10,000 state-educated people. A major finding was that most participants could not turn to former school alumni for career advice, job leads or professional support. The survey also examined financial pressure, culture shock at university, accent bias and the feeling that people must change their behaviour to fit in. These experiences support the view that social mobility should not require people to hide who they are.

Career Results

The organisation states that a strong share of its members secure work in their preferred industry after graduation. Hundreds have entered major employers in law, banking, accountancy, consultancy, finance and media.

Legal Structure and Leadership

The main charitable body is The 93 Percent Club Foundation, a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England and Wales. Sophie Pender serves as founder and chief executive. The wider leadership team covers operations, finance, student community, professional membership, events and partnerships. The organisation is based in London. Its charity correspondence address is on Fitzroy Street, while LinkedIn gives 15 Bishopsgate as its main office location.

Funding comes from donations, employer partnerships and paid professional membership. Volunteers, university leaders and ambassadors also support activities across campuses. LinkedIn shows many associated members, but that figure should not be treated as the exact number of paid employees. It can include student officers, volunteers and affiliated members.

Who Is Sophie Pender?

Sophie Angela Pender was born in June 1996 and raised in North London. She attended Hertswood Academy in Borehamwood, became head girl and achieved three A* grades at A level. She studied English at the University of Bristol from 2014 to 2017. Her experience of class differences at university became the driving force behind the network.

Career in Law

After university, Pender completed the Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School with distinction. She trained at Herbert Smith Freehills and qualified as a solicitor in 2021. Her legal work covered mergers, acquisitions, corporate deals, restructuring and disputes. She later joined Bates Wells, where she advised businesses, charities, social enterprises and impact investors. In 2024, she left legal practice to lead the organisation full time.

Awards and Recognition

Pender was named in Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe for social impact in 2022. She has also received honours from the University of Bristol and The Diana Award. Her TEDx talk explored the challenge of entering new spaces without losing personal identity.

Why The 93% Club Matters

Getting into university or securing a good job does not automatically create equal opportunity. People also need guidance, confidence, contacts and a sense of belonging. The 93% Club gives members support that can last far beyond one event or placement. It connects students with professionals and creates relationships that may continue throughout a career. Its aim is not only to help individuals enter powerful institutions. It also wants those institutions to change as more state-educated people gain influence and support those who come after them.

Final Thoughts

The 93% Club has grown from a university Facebook group into a major British social-mobility network. Its work covers student communities, professional membership, recruitment, employer partnerships, campaigns and national events.

Sophie Pender’s journey from a council estate to university, corporate law and charity leadership gives the movement a strong personal foundation. Her experience showed that talent may open a door, but networks often decide who moves forward.

By creating an alternative to old boys’ networks, the organisation gives state-educated people a stronger collective voice. Its message is clear: educational background should never decide who receives opportunity, support or influence.

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