This report of an ESRC Network on cross-regional perspectives on the transformative impact of higher education on disadvantaged groups and communities was produced in 2006, and involved PASCAL (Mike Osborne and Lesley Doyle) as well as colleagues at the Open University, the University of Salford and the University of East London. It will be of interest as a backdrop to our work within the PURE and PUMR projects. Later the Open University developed work from this project within the HEART project within the major ESRC programme on Higher Education and Regional Economic Impact.