About Julia
Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO CBE is a passionate and practical campaigner who has gained an international reputation for 'connecting the unconnected', inspiring individuals and organisations to work together for the common good.
As Vice President of Business in the Community and former Special Adviser to The Princes Charities - concentrating on responsible business practice and focusing connecting the unconnected in disadvantaged communities - she promotes collaboration, education and community organisations to build a more robust civil society.
This is exemplified by Julia's focus on places as the key focus for producing cross-sector, sustained work to build local capacity, confidence and capability to achieve long term positive change. As Chair of Place Matters and Patron of Right to Succeed, alongside her work in Claremont, Blackpool, Julia aims to bring her extensive experience to bear in helping to enable long-term place-based change in specific locations throughout England and Wales.
Julia also plays senior leadership roles in charities aiming to transform education and opportunities for young people. She is now Vice Patron of Teach First having chaired the charity from 2006 to 2014 and chairs the UK board of Teach for All. She chaired the National Literacy Trust from 2013 until 2022 and is now Vice Patron, chairing its Business Literacy Council.
Following her 2012 Government review on increasing young people’s engagement in social action, Julia co-founded the #iwill campaign, also known as Step Up To Serve, which aimed to get 60 percent of young people involved in practical action in the service of others. Upon the completion of the campaign, Julia continues to chair the #iwill Partnership Board.
Julia is a board member of the Fair Education Alliance, the Careers and Enterprise Company
and she chairs the National Statistician's Inclusive Data Advisory Committee.
In 2015 Julia was interviewed by Kirsty Young on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Listen here as she is castaway and tells us about her life with nothing but eight tracks, a book and a luxury item.
Learn more about Julia in this Financial Times profile 'Dame with a Campaign'.