Purpose Coalition Awards
News
BSU lecturer wins national award in Parliament for social inclusion
Tuesday, 25 March, 2025A Bath Spa University reader and lecturer has been named as a winner at the prestigious Purpose Coalition ‘Breaking Down Barriers’ Awards held in the Houses of Parliament yesterday.
Dr Sharon Colilles, Reader in Inclusive Early Childhood Education and leader of BSU’s Centre for Research in Early Childhood (REaCH) won the ‘Strong Foundations in Early Years’ award for her commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity and boosting social mobility.
Dr Colilles was presented her award by the Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Secretary of State for Education Rt Hon Justine Greening MP and Purpose Coalition Engagement Director Nick Forbes CBE. On presenting the award, Justine Greening said:
“A champion of inclusivity and child-led learning, Sharon drives social inclusion in early years education through training, research, and advocacy, shaping practice nationwide.”
Bath Spa University joined the Purpose Coalition in 2024 and it is made up of organisations that are committed to boosting social mobility and breaking down barriers to opportunity in the UK.
The Purpose Coalition is made up of some Britain’s most forward-thinking universities and businesses. The cross-party work it encourages brings together the UK’s most innovative leaders, Parliamentarians, and businesses to improve, share best practice, and develop solutions for making society and business more equitable.
Dr Sharon Colilles said:
“I am delighted to receive this award for my work in the areas of inclusivity, play and participatory approaches for supporting ethnic identity formation. Early Years Education is central to unlocking a myriad of opportunities.”
The Rt Hon Ms Greening said:
“I’m absolutely delighted to give out these awards. Our winners all lead by example and I hope they will inspire others to step up to the plate and consider what they can do to make a difference for their colleagues, customers and the communities they serve, especially in these challenging economic and social times. The breadth of sectors represented in our roll call of winners, and their geographical spread, demonstrate that a firm commitment to equality of opportunity is the key element, using accumulated knowledge, expertise and experience to shape a fairer future.”
Dr Colilles is a leading expert in the field of early childhood education and is passionate about social inclusion in early years education, and engages practitioners through seminars, CPD and workshops to build greater understanding of the importance of child-led approaches.
In 2021 she became a trustee of the Froebel Trust, a national charity promoting inclusive approaches from birth to eight. She works as an associate trainer for the Early Education charity and acts as vice-chair of the Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network. Recently, she has delivered a wide range of development activities into the sector including for Early Years Wales, the Nursery World Show, Creative Futures, Bright Beginnings and Suffolk and Wiltshire Councils.
Dr Mark McGuinness, who leads BSU's relationship with Purpose Coalition, said:
“We were thrilled at the recognition of the impact of our work at the Purpose Coalition Awards this year. Sharon's success, in the face of stiff competition, demonstrates the quality of the University's research and teaching in this key policy priority area for the government.”
BSU was also shortlisted for a second award in the ‘Building Sustainable Communities’ category for its work in partnership with community interest company, Little Lost Robot. This nomination was in recognition of BSU and Little Lost Robot’s social inclusion initiatives and the innovative, measurable and impactful place-based engagement work undertaken in excluded and multiply disadvantaged semi-rural communities in Somerset. This work breaks down barriers to access skills and learning through a number of community-based projects and programmes.