1. University of Wolverhampton
  2. About us
  3. Corporate Information
  4. The University as a charity

The University as a charity

The University as a charity

From incorporation in 1992 the University of Wolverhampton has been an exempt charity and since its earliest days in the mid-19th Century, the University and its forebears have had a purpose to provide the benefits of further and higher education to as many people in the community having the motivation and academic ability to do well.

The provision of such opportunities overall has public benefit in terms of contributing to the economic and social well-being of all the communities the University serves.

The University of Wolverhampton is a Higher Education Corporation incorporated under the provision of the Education Reform Act 1988. Section 124 of the Act confers the powers of the University to provide higher and further education, the conduct of research and anything necessary or expedient in the exercise of those powers.  Members of the Board of Governors are the Trustees of the University as an exempt charity.

The University is required to publish the following information on its website:

1.  The legal name and correspondence of the institution

Our legal name is: University of Wolverhampton
Our correspondence address is: University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV1 1LY, United Kingdom

2.  The main constitutional documents of the institution

The constitutional documents of the University are the Instrument of Government and Articles of Government. Information on the duties and powers of the University can be found at: Duties and powers

3.  The names of its trustees, together with relevant information, a list of charities of which they are trustees, disclosure of any payments made, related party transactions

The names of the University’s Board of Governors can be found on the membership pages.

The University also publishes, on an annual basis, the list of charities of which Governors are trustees. This information is located under: Interests of the Board. 

The University publishes the details of payments made to Governors in its consolidated financial statements. Please see section 4 below for the link to these statements.

4.  The full audited consolidated financial statements from 2009/10 onwards.

The University published full audited consolidated financial statements on an annual basis. These statements are located under Financial Statements.

Our mission

In setting the character and mission of the University of Wolverhampton within those powers, the Board of Governors have adopted the following mission statement:

"We are a learning community promoting excellence, innovation and creativity. We are committed to being:

  • An agent for social inclusion and social change
  • An arena for the development of ideas and critical thinking
  • A strategic force driving educational and cultural strategy for the City and the region
  • An educational hub supporting the economy through employment, entrepreneurship, creativity, knowledge transfer, research and development.

Through knowledge, innovation and enterprise we aim to transform the lives of those who engage with us."

For further information please contact:  governance@wlv.ac.uk

Page updated: 31 October 2025.

Benefits to the public

The Public Benefit derived from our mission may be summarised as follows, although these are illustrative examples and not an exhaustive list.

The University aims to deliver this part of its mission through the development of a course portfolio that equips students with knowledge and skills that are not only relevant to their subject of study, but which provide Graduate Attributes (being digitally literate, knowledgeable, enterprising global citizens).

The University aims to develop a lifelong relationship with its graduates responding to their lifelong learning and professional development needs to the benefit of the Graduates themselves, as well as their employers and the community at large.

Contribution to the community

Students/Graduates and Staff are encouraged to become positive contributors to the communities in which they belong and an ethos of active volunteering is both encouraged and is a growing facet of the University learning experience.

Equality of opportunity

While the resources in terms of tuition fees and other sources of income listed in our accounts are vital to the delivery of our mission, the University is ever mindful that its mission of social inclusion must be based on providing an equality of opportunity for all those with a motivation and academic ability to make best use of the life-enhancing opportunities the University offers irrespective of the social, ethnic, cultural or economic background of applicants.

Widening participation

Widening Participation is also central to the delivery of the mission, as are our schemes to provide bursary support towards the cost of studying at Wolverhampton for those of limited means as well as the emergency and hardship funds that are disbursed to address social inclusivity and hopefully assist students to achieve their study aspirations and vocational outcomes.

In terms of social change, the University conducts its research objectives in selected areas in a user-led collaborative way aimed at maximising the societal impact of our research outcomes.

Economic prosperity

We aim to contribute to economic development and wealth generation in the development and commercialisation of innovative products, processes and services, as well as making our advice and expertise readily accessible to the [business] community and the development of firm and long-lasting relationships.

The University plays a leading role in the economic prosperity of the region by encouraging the creation of graduate start-up businesses in the University’s incubator facilities and elsewhere as well as assistance given to enhance business competitiveness in the rapidly changing global economy.

The University of Wolverhampton recognises that the intellectual capital it holds or has an interest in – whether in its staff, students, graduates, or business associates – is of critical importance to the benefit of society as a whole.

Its value however, is maintained only if there is a corporate encouragement and challenge to its members to constantly review, refresh, and develop ideas and to be open to constructive critical thinking. 

The development of our course portfolios; the learning and teaching methods we employ; and the learning resources and information and communication technologies we invest in are provided to students and others with a view to the constant development of ideas and critical thinking which can only be of benefit to society at large.

The University is committed to having a student body that is balanced and diverse in terms of background and experience drawn from the Region, nationally and internationally with all the educational and cultural benefits that such diversity brings.

As part of our strategy for widening participation, we have made a clear commitment to ensuring that, as fees increase, students with genuine financial need are in receipt of good advice and appropriate financial assistance.

Our aim is to ensure that no student has legitimate reason to be deterred from applying to Wolverhampton because of the costs of living and studying here. 

The University has a well established programme of outreach activities designed to raise level of attainment, aspirations and applications among under-represented groups.

Once they are at the University, we are committed to ensuring that all our students benefit from an excellent teaching and learning experience as well as extra-curricular opportunities, including a range of community volunteering programmes, that enable students to develop as individuals and enhance future employability.

Student support

We provide a range of student services to ensure student welfare and a successful passage through University life and beyond, including:

Cultural life

In the wide cultural context, the University both collectively and through the encouragement of societies and individual initiative seeks to play a very active role in the community it serves.

For example, we run a successful small scale Theatre – the Arena Theatre, which compliments larger arts venues in the City; the field, pitch and track facilities we own as well as the indoor sport and fitness facilities are open to wider community use as are our learning centres (libraries).

Though both staff and student representation on civic, voluntary, faith and cultural bodies, the University remains a key participant in the diverse cultural and community life of the City and the Region.

The University is an educational hub supporting the economy through employee entrepreneurship, creativity, Knowledge Transfer Partnership research, and development.

Business-facing

The University of Wolverhampton is recognised as one of the most entrepreneurial, business-facing institutions in the region.

We provide business support, consultancy, skills development and research, which contributes significantly to the economic regeneration and prosperity of those living and working within the West Midlands communities.

Graduate opportunities

The University is at the forefront in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, and provides businesses with the opportunity to make the best use of the skills of our graduates.

We view graduate employability as a vital part of what we do, not only for the benefit of the individual, but in terms of contributing to the prosperity, economy, and social growth of our region.

The University also aims to offer continuing professional development (CPD) to businesses and individuals to maintain the competitive edge for the region in an internationally competitive and ever-changing economy. Through this we seek to secure and optimise the skills and opportunities for the communities we serve.

More information about the University’s public benefit can be found in the consolidated financial statements. Please see paragraph 4 above for the link to the current year’s financial statements.