Spurred on by research from the Sutton Trust, Sarah and Peter Harkness have been impressed by Mansfield’s belief that an Oxford education should be available to all those with the requisite talent, potential and application, whatever their background. 
They feel that if the universities are going to reach out to all sections of society, as they believe they should, then this initiative needs support from all who have benefited from what Mansfield, in its friendly and unassuming manner, has to offer.
Together they are pledging funds targeted at encouraging more applications from schools in Yorkshire and the North East of England, hoping to play a part in making some progress in the area. They are supporting Mansfield and its students with a prize and a bursary.
Sarah & Peter Harkness Prize  (£100 pa)A £100 Prize for best Distinction-level performance in the first public examinations, based on rankings within the class, by a Mansfield student living and having completed 6th form studies in Yorkshire or the North East.
Sarah & Peter Harkness Bursary (£250 pa)This award will be made for the first time in 2008/09 and made to one student living and having completed 6th form studies in Yorkshire or the North East who is studying for a degree at Mansfield.  This award will be paid for as long as the student has fee-liability at the University. The recipient must be in good academic and general standing with the College.