The Cumbrian Boys Impact Hub is a new county-wide collaboration bringing together education, employers, careers professionals and community partners to tackle one shared challenge: improving outcomes for boys across Cumbria.
From a Higher Education perspective, this launch session is your opportunity to be part of the conversation from the very beginning. We’ll share the insight that has shaped the Hub, explore the collective challenges facing boys today, and invite delegates to help define the priorities that will shape future activity.
Rather than presenting finished solutions, this interactive workshop is designed to capture the expertise, ideas and experiences of those working across the county. Together, we’ll identify where collaboration can have the greatest impact and invite you to become part of a growing network committed to creating meaningful, lasting change.
You’ll take away
- An understanding of the vision, evidence and ambitions behind the Cumbrian Boys Impact Hub.
- Greater insight into the role universities and HE providers can play in supporting boys’ aspirations, progression and future choices.
- The opportunity to shape the future direction of the Hub through discussion and shared insight.
- An invitation to become a founding member of a county-wide partnership committed to improving outcomes for boys.
Meet Your Facilitators
Daniel Dutton
Daniel Dutton is Head of Student Recruitment and Outreach at the University of Cumbria, where he leads the strategic development of student recruitment, educational outreach, and widening participation across the region. With over 18 years’ experience in higher education, he has worked collaboratively with colleagues and partners to develop regional strategies, strengthen partnerships and deliver initiatives that improve access, aspiration, and progression for learners.
His work spans strategy, business development, marketing, stakeholder engagement, and partnership development, bringing together education, industry, local government and the third sector to respond to complex educational challenges.
Alongside his university leadership role, Daniel is the Strategic Lead for Hello Future, Cumbria’s Uni Connect partnership, working alongside schools, colleges, universities, and community organisations to address educational inequalities and improve progression into higher education for young people from underrepresented backgrounds. Through collaborative leadership, he has helped shape innovative, evidence-informed initiatives including the National Saturday Club in Carlisle, the Breaking the Mould programme, and the Cumbrian Boys Impact Hub, creating opportunities that connect education, creativity, careers, and communities while supporting long-term regional impact.
A defining feature of Daniel’s work is building connected educational ecosystems that enable organisations to work collectively towards shared ambitions. He is passionate about creating the conditions for meaningful collaboration, aligning education providers, employers, policymakers and communities around place-based opportunity, social mobility, and workforce development. By combining strategic leadership with evidence-informed practice, Daniel works with partners to turn shared ambition into sustainable action that delivers meaningful change for learners and communities.
Daniel is also a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) researcher exploring educational decision-making among under-resourced young males in Cumbria. His research introduces the concept of the “Illusion of Agency”, offering a new perspective on how place, identity and structural barriers influence educational choices. Through his research, he seeks to bridge evidence and practice, helping inform collaborative approaches to improving educational equity and progression.
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