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Duncan Exley

@duncanexley.bsky.social
2K followers 2.3K following 639 posts

Not-for-profits struggle to recruit & get the most out of people from non-middle class backgrounds. I can help: Analysis-&-recommendation &/or training.

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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 2h
“Which arguments will entice people who aren’t our organisation’s usual demographic?” (is probably the wrong question! BUT a ‘widening participation’ approach can win support that making-the-case can’t) lnkd.in/p/eWRCcsQ9 #charities
lnkd.in
YANSS 325 – How cognitive dissonance can lead us to believe wrong is now right and right has always been wrong | Duncan Exley
“Which arguments will entice people who aren’t our organisation’s usual demographic?” is probably the wrong question (BUT a ‘widening participation’ approach can win support that making-the-case can’t...
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Would only benefit the wealthiest 5% (with the costs of it met by the rest of us) and further entrench inherited inequality. Absolutely toxic to social mobility www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ck... #CPC26
bbc.co.uk
Badenoch says Tories would scrap inheritance tax on family homes and allow couples to leave extra £1m
The leader of the opposition says the changes would mean the number of families paying inheritance tax would "fall by more than half".
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
More on @emmaemmatay.bsky.social' book here press.princeton.edu/books/hardco... "draws on years of immersive ethnographic research and teaching experience... to highlight how these institutions cultivate the dispositions that propel students into elite universities and professions". 👀
press.princeton.edu
An Elite Education
An examination of the making of privilege at one of Britain’s top boys’ schools
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
"How is privilege produced in Britain’s elite schools?" Book launch Wednesday 28 October 2026 6.30pm - 8pm in-person (London WC2) // online #Class #SocialMobilty
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Are people from working class backgrounds being priced out of charity careers? Kait Leeming lnkd.in/p/egn8fUtX #charities #philanthropy
Excerpt from linked piece
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Protesting carries more cost & risk for non-privileged people than is appreciated in circles that dominate progressive discourse... lnkd.in/p/eVrVg6ak #charities #philanthopy
lnkd.in
Protesting carries more cost & risk for non-privileged people than is appreciated in circles that dominate progressive discourse... In his post below, Josh Tracey-Wheeler talks about “the bravery...
Protesting carries more cost & risk for non-privileged people than is appreciated in circles that dominate progressive discourse... In his post below, Josh Tracey-Wheeler talks about “the bravery tha...
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
“Working-class students have been made to feel ashamed of their home life at university”
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
BUT "benefits of the policy are enjoyed mainly by households who have incomes considerably above the national median income... who would very likely have bought their own home in any case... it did not help households who actually needed help" blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...
blogs.lse.ac.uk
How ‘Help to Buy’ helps mainly the privileged | LSE British Politics
The Government’s pledge to extend the “Help to Buy” programme is a further mistaken investment in a policy which has had little impact on extending home ownership to lower income households, explains ...
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
...its good that @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social has "recognised this problem" as Ashley & @evemworth.bsky.social say But references to ‘white working class’ risk "encouraging disadvantaged groups to compete over who has been neglected most [..] turning people with similar material interests into rivals"
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
“In… organisations promoting social mobility… structural diagnoses often coexist with highly individualised interventions [that] can make unequal institutions appear fairer by demonstrating that routes upwards exist, while leaving the distribution of advantage largely intact".
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Underrepresentation of people from low-&-middle-income backgrounds is even worse in #charities sector than in public or private sectors. A way of addressing it is being developed. Maybe you can help push it along? lnkd.in/p/eijJDiP3 // @eyfoundation.bsky.social
lnkd.in
Underrepresentation of people from low-&-middle-income backgrounds is even… | Duncan Exley
Underrepresentation of people from low-&-middle-income backgrounds is even worse in charities sector than in public or private sectors. A way of addressing it is being developed. Maybe you can help pu...
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
My godson is this weekend taking the Kent Test (basically the 11+: that county retaining the selective system) his parents, having seen past papers, noted that some of the questions cover material he won't be taught until next term (unless a tutor has been hired to teach it)
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
An excerpt from the piece
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"We have been squeamish about #class for too long. From exam results to life expectancy, we must bear down on the entrenched inequalities" (@bphillipsonmp.bsky.social, launching Class Unit to focus on improving lives of low-income families & communities) www.gov.uk/government/n...
gov.uk
Time to end class squeamishness: first government unit to improve life chances for working class
New Class Unit to focus on improving lives of low-income families, disadvantaged communities and rooting out child poverty.
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Not all working-class people are white. Framing this proposal this way is gratuitously divisive. Grow some intersectionality.
thetimes.com
Bridget Phillipson targets white working-class inequality
The equalities minister is to set up a unit that will put social class on a par with race and gender and create a ‘socioeconomic duty’ for public bodies
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"the quality of someone's first job shapes their earnings & career progression... & people from more advantaged backgrounds were more likely to access stronger pathways" @smfthinktank.bsky.social has proposals "on getting young people into good work & helping them get on once they are there" ⬇️
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Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) @smkcampaigners.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Campaigners often tell us that time, capacity and budgets can be a barrier to professional development, so we’ve launched the NEW: Campaign Carousel Mini. READ MORE HERE AND SIGN UP TODAY: smk.org.uk/a-shorter-route-to-stron…
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I wasn’t thinking of the effect on him, I was thinking of the effect on others of seeing the mockery of body shapes which may resemble their own.
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Snarky references to someone’s weight aren’t great
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
"Third of junior charity roles now paid below real living wage, research finds... why charities continue to have overly-homogenous staff teams ; prone to groupthink, failing to get the talent and added-value insights from ordinary, diverse backgrounds" lnkd.in/p/e2TQgaB7
lnkd.in
Third of junior charity roles now paid below real living wage, research finds | Duncan Exley
"Third of junior charity roles now paid below real living wage, research finds" https://lnkd.in/eRdK5cK2 (via Civil Society Media Ltd) "low and insecure pay, especially in entry-level roles" was iden...
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The Bridge Group @bridgegroup.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Looking for a remote, part time role in fundraising and charitable partnerships? The Bridge Group is looking to appoint a new Partnership & Development Manager! Visit tinyurl.com/27ksttwx to learn more and apply.
tinyurl.com
The Bridge Group recruits a Partnerships and Development Manager — Bridge Group
The Bridge Group is currently seeking a Partnerships and Development Manager to support our work as a leading independent research and advisory charity promoting socio-economic inclusion through evide...
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
“the public… are wrong about crime on nearly every measure: from how many people fall victim, to the ethnicity and nationality of offenders, and whether police numbers have increased or decreased …[&] Mistaken beliefs are linked to more punitive policy demands”
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Summer's end, around the bend just flying; The swimming suits are on the line just drying… www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXbE...
youtube.com
John Prine - Summer's End Official Video
YouTube video by John Prine
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Backing away from increasing the tax-free personal allowance is good, at least: it would most benefit "upper-middle-income households" (ifs.org.uk/articles/unf...) & does nowt for the lowest-paid (whose whose incomes are below the threshold)
ifs.org.uk
Unfreezing the personal allowance | Institute for Fiscal Studies
What would unfreezing the personal allowance mean for taxpayers and how much would it cost?
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
… see also: “For decades mainstream politicians fixated on education as the way to level the playing field of life. They were wrong” www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/essays/39598...
prospectmagazine.co.uk
The social mobility trap
For decades mainstream politicians fixated on education as the way to level the playing field of life. They were wrong
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Regular reminder that education alone can’t address the problem of more Brits now experiencing downward #SocialMobility than ‘going up in the world’: No amount of education will increase the number of people who get ‘graduate jobs’ if the number of graduate jobs doesn’t rise.
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The extended heatwave is causing the circuit boards in washing machines & dishwashers to fail (as the person who came to fix our machine said to us today) One of the many consequences of the #ClimateCrisis that don't get mentioned much cc @roundourwayuk.bsky.social
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Diversity is celebrated here! (on condition that inequality isn’t acknowledged)… Many of us find ourselves in organisations practising this particular type of toxic positivity: it can & should be challenged. www.linkedin.com/posts/duncan... #charities #philanthropy #campaigning
linkedin.com
Diversity is celebrated here! (on condition that inequality isn’t… | Duncan Exley
Diversity is celebrated here! (on condition that inequality isn’t acknowledged)… A new study of an American neighbourhood reveals unwritten rules that might reflect those in your organisation: ...
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
“Cycle helmets have in any case not been shown to be an effective way to reduce cyclists’ injury risks. Indeed they might even be counter-productive” (@cyclinguk.bsky.social) www.cyclinguk.org/briefing/cyc...
cyclinguk.org
Cycle helmets
There is no justification for making helmet-wearing compulsory: it could undermine levels of cycle use and, in any case, the effectiveness of helmets is far from clear.
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Centre for Young Lives @cfyounglives.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Are you excited by the opportunity to join a fast-growing, influential think tank that champions vulnerable children and campaigns for lasting change? We're looking for an ambitious comms professional 👇 www.centreforyounglives.org.uk/about-us/job...
centreforyounglives.org.uk
Job Vacancy: Press & Communications Manager | Centre for Young Lives
£39,149 - £43,668
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
My partner & I are supporting a young woman, (estranged from family), though a-levels & into uni: So many instances of gaps in provision or information, system failures etc that're only really navigable by well-resourced, sharp-elbowed adults, which most in her position - almost by definition - lack
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 17/08/2026
“You come out of care, you’re already disadvantaged, then you’ve got no one to call, no one to rely on. ...You can’t just throw an 18-year-old into the world and say, ‘Make it on your own.’ ” Some very powerful personal accounts from care leavers in The Times. www.thetimes.com/article/a679...
thetimes.com
No parents, no home, no job: what happens when kids in care turn 18
Every year thousands of young people leave the care system with no home and little support. Caroline Scott meets the resilient twentysomethings facing adulthood alone
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
It’s going to get a bit cooler after today (I feel like I’ve been saying that for the last three months) #ClimateCrisis
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Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
The chances of going to university still depend far too much on where you grew up. Our analysis of UCAS #ResultsDay data shows 43% of 18-year-olds in London have been accepted into university, compared with just 25% in the North East
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Who gets into (which) university is as much about privilege as potential (which is ideally kept in mind when recruiting staff)... www.linkedin.com/posts/duncan... #ResultsDay
linkedin.com
#charities #campaigning #philanthropy | Duncan Exley
Who gets into (which) university is as much about privilege as potential (which is ideally kept in mind when recruiting staff)... Entry to university is strongly correlated to students’ socioeconomic...
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Pastafarian plot?
Picture of man wearing colander as a hat
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
An eclipse and a meteor shower this evening. Two notable astronomical events. I'll wait for something cheaper.
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Education Policy Institute @edupolicyinst.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
New from EPI's Early Years Observatory: nearly a quarter (24%) of households with children under five experience food poverty in England - rising to 1 in 2 for single-parent households, and 39% for households with children under five and an adult with a disability. Read the full analysis ⬇️
eyo.epi.org.uk
How many households with children under five experience food poverty and what can be done about it?  - Early Years Observatory
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Seeing those who should be benefiting from our work, or engaging with it, as case studies or caricatures? as less fully human than ourselves? #charities #campaigning #philanthropy www.linkedin.com/posts/duncan... #charities #campaigning #philanthropy
linkedin.com
#charities #campaigning #philanthropy | Duncan Exley
Seeing those who should be benefitting from our work, or engaging with it, as case studies or caricatures, as less fully human than ourselves?... The quote, pictured, from Matt Mahmood-Ogston’s (char...
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
"For research funding [equity] presents a [...] challenge. Decisions about who gets to apply, how opportunities are allocated & what counts as fair process are [...] shaped by scarcity, complexity & institutional caution. […] working collectively can help build a little more bravery into the system"
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
👆 Perennial
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Great thread, to which I'd add the aversion of many people in said movement to criticise behaviours of people whom they perceive as being within their tribe, even when they'd cite the same behaviours from others as evidence of maleficence
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Bender @djbthirteen.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Lots of journalists are talking about the guillotine t-shirt as a 'Green Party problem': this is the wrong framing. It's a 'populist left problem' ('slopulist left', if I were being ungenerous). What's happened is the populist left has adopted the Greens as their chosen vehicle. 1/🧵
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 29/07/2026
This week's Economist shows that England is not the only country facing up to the (very expensive) reality that it seems to have too many university graduates for the available graduate jobs. Which might explain why, in a recent US poll, almost two-third of adults say a degree isn’t worth the cost.
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Innit: bsky.app/profile/dunc...
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Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) @smkcampaigners.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Are you a.... 👉campaigner 👉charity professional 👉community organise 👉or simply someone who wants to help create positive change? Join the community. Be part of the conversation. 📬 Sign up to the SMK newsletter: smk.org.uk/mailing-list #Campaigning #SocialChangeNews #SocialChange
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The Sutton Trust @suttontrust.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
🔎 Andy Burnham's cabinet is the most Oxbridge-educated cabinet since David Cameron's cabinet in 2010. The new Prime Minister recently appointed his cabinet. We found that over half (54%) of ministers appointed went to Oxford or Cambridge for university.
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
India’s Gen Z revolt - which today forced the education minister’s resignation - is in reaction to the same delusional approach to #SocialMobility we see here: If the number of good jobs doesn’t increase, no amount of education will increase the number of people who get them.
An excerpt from the story to which this post links, it reads “Government skill development initiatives aren’t helping — of the 16mn trained, only 15 per cent got jobs in the last decade. Even India’s famed information technology companies are laying off engineers and freezing recruitment. The sector’s Big Five hired a net 17 employees in the first nine months of the 2025-26 financial year.
As a result, many young people are forced to work jobs they are grossly overqualified for”
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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
And, I guess, goes to show that what is filling the screen of some of us will take some time and iteration to impinge on the attention of others.
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