Philanthropist Sir Peter Lampl is to retire from his role as executive chair of the Sutton Trust, the social mobility charity he founded 25 years ago.

Since the charity launched he has given it £65m to back its work, which includes helping disadvantaged young people to access education and places at universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge, as well as MIT, Harvard and Yale in the US.

Lampl made his fortune as the founder of global private equity company the Sutton Company.

Among those paying tribute to Lampl’s record promoting social mobility is early years charity and provider group Early Education and Childcare Coalition.

It said Lampl “has been a trailblazer on the issue of social mobility from the early years and beyond”.

The Sutton Trust added that Lampl has “radically altered the way that policy makers think about social mobility”.

During Sir Peter’s tenure, the Trust has championed policies to support young people from low and middle income backgrounds and radically altered the way that policy makers think about social mobility.

Sir Peter also founded the @EducEndowFoundn 👇https://t.co/cJ3jpqC8dK

— The Sutton Trust (@suttontrust) July 2, 2024

“The Sutton Trust has exceeded my wildest hopes for what it could achieve,” said Lampl.

“It has worked tirelessly to level the playing field of educational opportunity and has revolutionised attitudes to social mobility in the UK.”

Lampl says that he will continue to “advocate for social mobility from an independent position” adding “I am, and always will be, immensely proud of what the Trust has achieved”.

More than a decade ago Lampl founded the Education Endowment Foundation. He was its chair until earlier this year when he was replaced by former Ofsted chief inspector Dame Christine Gilbert.

The two charities he founded have raised almost £1bn between them.

The Sutton Trust’s work has also included commissioning 250 research studies.

Lampl was awarded an OBE 25 years ago for services to higher education and was knighted in 2003.

---