Socially Mobile | Impact Report 2026
01 Our progress in 2025
02 About Socially Mobile
03 Outcomes for 2025
Summary of activity | Diversity and inclusivity analysis
04 Graduate Survey
Our graduate outcomes | Developing knowledge and skills | Industry-specific knowledge | Practical application of skills | Strategic thinking and problem-solving | Enhanced leadership skills
Improving employment prospects | Increased self-confidence | Promotions, new roles and salary increases | Enhanced professional visibility | Adaptability and resilience
05 Programme Design
Core management capabilities | Specialist management capabilities | Industry masterclasses | Continuing development | Alumni lectures
06 Governance
Internal oversight | External oversight
07 Community
Founders and directors | Directors | Steering group | Partners | Programme manager | Student ambassadors | Teachers | Assessors | Examiners
08 Financial report
09 Further information
01 Our progress in 2025
This Impact Report tells the story of our graduates and the larger Socially Mobile community.
We know from the conversations we have and the messages we receive throughout the year that Socially Mobile is making a significant difference to the lives of practitioners who graduate from the programme. But this report provides hard data.
Socially Mobile improves earning potential by developing the management and public relations skills of graduates, and their networks and professional visibility. It has a broader industry impact by helping to address equality and representation within practice.
Our work in 2025
We received 103 applications for funded places of which 31 were successful.
We served a total of 45 students across three cohorts.
All students successfully graduated from the programme.
Our graduate outcomes
95% of graduates recommend Socially Mobile to a friend or colleague.
8.4/10 average satisfaction score for career impact.
Since its launch in 2022, 174 practitioners have graduated from the programme. We’re starting to see the network effect of this larger cohort. They are all connected via an online community and meet at industry events.
We’d like to thank our 2025 graduates who contributed to this report through survey data and qualitative interviews. Your continued support helps us constantly improve the programme and its outcomes.
We would also like to thank all the individuals and organisations that have contributed to our fundraising activities. Without this support, the programme would not be sustainable.
Finally, thank you to our steering group, programme manager, partners, assessors, examiners and teachers who comprise the Socially Mobile community. You are helping improve diversity and inclusion within public relations practice.
Sarah Waddington CBE
Stephen Waddington
Founders and Directors
Socially Mobile Community Interest Company
02 About Socially Mobile
Socially Mobile is a Community Interest Company, founded by Sarah Waddington CBE and Stephen Waddington, that helps and inspires UK-based public relations practitioners across the UK to increase their earning potential.
Through support and funding, Socially Mobile delivers training to those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, as well as under-represented and under-served groups including ethnic minority practitioners, the LGBTQ+ community, women returners, and those with disabilities.
The impactful ten-week programme is for future leaders:
Aspiring to a management role
Returning to work or moving into a new role
Considering starting their own public relations business
The Socially Mobile course is free for UK-applicants who meet our criteria. Fee-paying practitioners are welcome on the programme at a cost of £750. No formal training or education is required but applicants must have at least two years’ experience in a public relations role.
If you know someone who would benefit from the Socially Mobile programme please encourage them to apply for a place in an upcoming cohort.
“Supporting Socially Mobile is so important to us at CoverageBook, especially as their mentorship and training are helping shape the future stars of our industry. After all, if people with real, lived experiences aren’t shaping our industry, how can we truly relate to the public? We’re proud to keep working with Socially Mobile and supporting the incredible work they do.”
03 Outcomes for 2025
Summary of activity
Socially Mobile served 43 students across three cohorts in 2024. 40 students successfully graduated from the programme.
Socially Mobile launched as a Community Interest Company in 2021.
2025 was our third year of operation.
A total of 174 students have graduated from the programme.
Diversity and inclusivity analysis
The diversity characteristics of the graduate population in 2025 are set out below. A student may identify with one or more characteristics, illustrating the intersectional nature of diversity issues.
“I support Socially Mobile because giving practitioners from underrepresented backgrounds the skills to understand finance and business equips them to make strategic decisions and advance their careers. These tools are essential for leadership in public relations, and I’m proud to help remove barriers to what can otherwise feel overwhelming and complex”
04 Graduate survey
This section and the next draws on data from programme graduates, capturing both quantitative measures and the personal stories behind them.
Our graduate outcomes
95% of graduates recommend Socially Mobile to a friend or colleague.
8.4/10 average satisfaction score for career impact.
100% programme completion rate: 45 out of 45 students graduated.
Developing knowledge and skills
The Socially Mobile programme plays a significant role in helping students develop their skills across several key areas.
Our survey of 2025 graduates highlighted that the programme is delivering on its goal of an holistic approach to professional development, addressing both technical and soft skills. These are important for career advancement, especially for individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds and underrepresented groups.
The areas cited as the biggest benefits of Socially Mobile are as follows:
Industry-specific knowledge
Participants gained a better understanding of their respective specialism through the Socially Mobile programme. This knowledge is important for navigating complexity and making informed decisions that contribute to career development.
Practical application of skills
Reflective coursework enables participants to apply their new skills in real-world scenarios. This hands-on approach ensures that the skills learned are theoretical, applicable, and relevant to a student’s day job.
Strategic thinking and problem-solving
Graduates report an improved ability to think strategically and solve problems effectively. The Socially Mobile programme fosters critical thinking and analytical skills, preparing graduates to tackle challenges and seize opportunities with innovative solutions.
Enhanced leadership skills
The programme places a strong emphasis on developing leadership skills, with graduates noting improvements in their ability to lead teams, make decisions, and influence others. This is critical for career progression and taking on more significant roles within organisations.
Improving employment prospects
The Socially Mobile programme has a multifaceted impact on employment prospects for its graduates. By addressing both the skillset and mindset of students, alongside providing practical experience and networking opportunities, it enhances their competitiveness in the job market.
Socially Mobile graduates report the following impacts on their career:
Increased self-confidence
Many respondents reported increased self-confidence from the programme, which effectively empowers participants by boosting their self-esteem and belief in their professional capabilities.
Promotions, new roles and salary increases
A quarter of respondents secured new opportunities or promotions at work. 15% started entirely new jobs. One graduate noted that receiving the Chief Examiner’s award and being sponsored for Chartership gave them a key qualification and access to further networks.
Enhanced professional visibility
Participation in the programme can enhance a graduate's professional visibility, particularly through reflective assignments and interactions with industry professionals. This increased visibility can make participants more attractive to recruiters and hiring managers.
Adaptability and resilience
The programme encourages adaptability and resilience, qualities which are increasingly important in a rapidly changing professional landscape. Learning to navigate and thrive amid change is a valuable lesson.
“Socially Mobile does vital work for our industry by addressing the lack of opportunity for those who aren’t privileged by their background or education. Quite simply it smashes the maxim, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” With Socially Mobile it’s all about providing the know-how and each cohort is proving that with the right access to training and development we can level the playing field and better than that, improve our industry.”
05 Programme design
The Socially Mobile programme focuses on a specific intervention to support midcareer UK-based public relations practitioners in developing management communication skills. Students must have worked in a tactical public relations role for at least two years to be eligible for entry.
The Socially Mobile programme is spread over ten weeks and consists of video lectures, a live crisis simulation, assignments, Q&A sessions, and discussions. We aim to be as inclusive and accessible as possible. The programme has been reviewed by Jim Taylor, a specialist educational psychologist and an experienced professional in neurodiversity and autism.
A mix of core management capabilities are covered during the first seven weeks. Students choose from five specialist management capabilities for the last three weeks of study. Industry-leading practitioners selected for their expertise deliver lectures and supplementary masterclasses.
Students engage and interact with each other during live session office hours, industry masterclasses and via an online community.
Core management capabilities
Core skills
Planning and creativity
Measurement
Financial planning and measurement
Technology and workflow
Managing people and building a high-performance team
Risk management
Specialist management capabilities
Starting a business
Building better organisations
Change management
Strategy and growth
Leadership and culture
Industry masterclasses
Creativity / Storytelling to drive business outcomes Vicki Spencer-Francis | Cowshed
The business-critical role of public engagement Mandy Pearse | CIPR Local Public Services Group
The strategic role of internal comms to drive engagement and productivity Rachel Miller | All Things IC
Free, affordable, low cost and no cost PR measurement hacks Steph Bridgeman | Experienced Media Analysts
What is community strategy and why public relations mustn’t miss out Michelle Goodall
Managing a multimarket PR campaign George Blizzard | The PR Network
Opportunities for independent practitioners Rod Cartwright
Creativity / Storytelling to drive business outcomes Daniel Tyte | Working Word
Managing international PR Katy Campbell |The PR Network
Continuing development
All Socially Mobile students with fully funded places who successfully graduate receive CIPR and PRCA membership for a year to support their continued development.
One student from each cohort is awarded a Chief Examiner’s Award. This award allows the successful graduate to sit the CIPR Chartered Assessment.
All graduate students receive a place on the AMEC Foundation in Media Measurement and Evaluation Course.
We Are Resource provides Socially Mobile graduates with access to CommsHero events. It also supplies stationery to students on the programme.
We introduced a lecture each term for our alumni community in 2024. Additionally, graduates can connect with one another through an online community.
Alumni lectures
Advita Patel | CIPR President
Matt Guarente | Guarente + Company
Sam Lizars | Independent coach and trainer
“Socially Mobile is doing vital work to open doors that should never have been closed - broadening access to talented individuals from backgrounds that are still underrepresented across our sector. We’re proud to support a place each year and back a generation of leaders who will help make our industry truly representative”
06 Governance
Internal oversight
Socially Mobile has four levels of scrutiny.
The Steering Group supports the organisation with the development of strategy, risk assessment and management, and funding.
An Assessment Panel reviews anonymised applications for places on the programme. The Programme Manager enables this, overseen by a Lead Assessor.
Examiners mark student assessments throughout the programme and a Chief Examiner oversees quality assurance.
Student feedback is sought each week throughout the programme and as part of our annual review.
External oversightThe Global Alliance independently assessed the Socially Mobile Certificate in Leadership Com- munication in April 2024 and validated it for three years. It recognised the strategic content, programme design and international relevance.
Accreditation from the Global Alliance is the industry’s highest recognised standard for public relations and management training and development. It signifies a commitment to best practices in learning design, governance and learning outcomes.
“It’s harder than ever to get a start in public relations, with employers inundated with CVs of capable newcomers who hang on the end of unanswered emails. Since time began, people with privilege short circuit the recruitment process by who they know, not what they know. Socially Mobile is a small step to re-addressing that balance, giving a fairer shout to the people the PR industry needs more of. We’re supporting their work so the Socially Mobile community can grow and our industry can be more representative of the world it serves”
07 Community
Socially Mobile exists because of the generosity of the public relations community in supporting its goals. We would like to thank the following individuals and organ- isations.
All roles are unpaid except for the Programme Manager. Assessors and examiners are offered an honorarium.
Founders and directors
Sarah Waddington CBE
Stephen Waddington
Directors
Richard Houghton
Steering group
In 2025 Farzana Baduel and Karan Chadda stepped down from the Steering Group after serving a three year term. Grant Currie and Sowmya Pulle were appointed to the group.
Farzana Baduel (stepped down in 2025)
Karan Chadda (stepped down in 2025)
Grant Currie (appointed in 2026)
Aby Hawker
Chimwemwe J P Manyozo
Sowmya Pulle (appointed in 2026)
Partners
AMEC
CIPR
PRCA
We Are Resource
Programme manager
Beth Thomas
Student ambassadors
In 2025 we created a new role of Student Ambassador. A graduate is recruited to support each cohort.
Leanne Hughes - Cohort 12
Prince Ofori Boamah - Cohort 13
Teachers
Farzana Baduel
Richard Bagnall
Andy Barr
Ann-Marie Blake
Dr Jane Brearley
John Brown
Karan Chadda
Alison Clarke
Deborah Edwards
Rachel Foster
Graham Goodkind
Nik Govier
Professor Emeritus Dr Anne Gregory
Fenella Grey
Kate Hartley
Naomi Jones
Shayoni Lynn
Rachael Marshall
Advita Patel
Rachel Foster
Andrew Bruce Smith
Paul Stollery
Sarah Waddington CBE
Stephen Waddington
Louise Watson
Dr Jon White
Assessors
Rana Audah
Lorna Branton
Julian Christopher
Teela Clayton
Anna Epps
Michelle Goodall
Katrina Marshall
Tessa Matchett
Amy Rowe
Ben Verinder (Lead Assessor)
Josh Wheeler
Examiners
Ayeni Adékunlé
Catherine Arrow
Steph Bridgeman
Lesley Brydon
Rebecca Cousins
Emma Duke
Steve Earl
Con Franklin
Catherine Glover
Professor Emeritus Dr Anne Gregory
Joe Hanley
Kirsty Leighton
Chris Love
Claire Merryweather
Chris Reed
Chevaan Seresinhe
Alison Tobin (Chief Examiner)
Grant Thoms (Chief Examiner)
“At 72Point, we’re proud to continue supporting Socially Mobile and the meaningful impact it is having across the public relations industry. Last year’s results demonstrated just how powerful the programme is in building confidence, strengthening skills and improving career prospects for its graduates. We’re excited to support the next cohort and help extend that impact even further, ensuring more talented individuals from underrepresented backgrounds have the opportunity to progress and lead within our industry.”
08 Financial report
Funding is provided by a mix of sponsorship and paid places. We ran a campaign during the year to fund 25 places on the programme in 2025. We are grateful to the following individuals and organisations for their donations.
Grant Currie
Jack and Grace
Magic Digits
MVPR
PR Cavalry
Redefining Comms
Rod Cartwright Consulting
SourceCode
Working Word
We’re also grateful to CoverageBook and The PR Network for their multi-year support for the programme.
Socially Mobile carried forward a small surplus into 2025 due to its fundraising activities. This will help ensure the ongoing sustainability of the programme.
“Socially Mobile is a critically important initiative and something of a passion project for me, given my own background. Providing this training and experience to underfunded or under-represented groups is so important to give them the confidence, and training, to succeed and further their careers in our profession.
I am just starting my own journey as part of the Socially Mobile team and I am so excited. I really hope I can make a difference. I have always said that, as a leader, the best legacy you can possibly leave is seeing those you mentor or teach go on to great things themselves.”
09 Further information
To apply for a place on an upcoming Socially Mobile please follow this link: sociallymobile.org.uk
For further information related to any aspect of the programme please contact Beth Thomas beth.thomas@sociallymobile.org.uk
“As creators of the Independent Impact 50 Awards we strive to spotlight the work of freelance practitioners from every strand of society.
We are proud to support Socially Mobile’s work in opening opportunities for people marginalised by entrenched ideas and practices that are still centred on looking and sounding right.”
