Community
Dame Julia is passionate and knowledgable about building cross-sector partnerships in the most deprived communities.
In 2022 she agreed to chair Place Matters – an innovative
partnership with five civil society organisations learning together on how best to support communities, including Right to Succeed, of which she is Patron.
As Special Adviser to the then Prince's Charities from 2008 to 2014 she led the Place based Partnerships in five communities across the UK - majoring on Burnley and Burslem and working to convene the private, public and community sector to tackle the key economic and social issues, building in Place Co-ordinators and Business Connectors.
In 2015 she began her work in Blackpool supporting the original Business Connector and working with Business in the Community to develop the Blackpool Pride of Place Board.
Through her chairmanship of the National Literacy Trust from 2014 to 2022 she has seen the development of 14 Literacy Hubs in communities where literacy is lowest, starting in Middlesbrough, Bradford and Peterborough.
Evidence showing the impact after 7 years in
Middlesbrough is encouraging.