Inequality is the big social problem of our time yet individuals lead diverse lives, making choices which are respected. Major social policies around the consequences of poverty and opportunity for social mobility are often separated artificially. The idea of life chances is to bring these structural features together in a vision for a fair society – but the evidence is complex. Newcastle University research starts from child development and goes into old age, taking account of the family as well as physical infrastructure. We will synthesise complex and impersonal statistics about population groups in ways which centre on facts but make compelling and effective presentations. To influence policy we will be engaging with parliamentary groups, inquiries and individuals, as well looking more specifically at the North East region.