Hi, I’m Emily and I joined Cumberland Lodge as Programme Director in June 2026.
My first passion was the world of education, working on programmes for NGOs with children affected by war and displacement in the successor states of the former Yugoslavia. This started a career-long focus on both empowering the leadership of young people and communities, and trying to leave this world in a more peaceful, just and sustainable state for the next generation. I worked in London with law firms and financial services designing charitable programmes, before commencing a career in academia, working in universities before joining the British Council to scale up their global work on youth voice, evidence, and the sustainable development goals.
I’m an academic with a background in Policy, International Relations and Citizenship, but also always a practitioner – working closely with government and with the public to build trust and understanding through dialogue, evidence and citizen-led action. For the last six years I worked at the national charity The Young Foundation, firstly to design and launch the Institute for Community Studies, and latterly securing long term funding for the national JUST centre, focused on how we achieve a socially just transition to a climate positive future.
My work has a particular focus on collaborative policymaking with young people and the public, and the role of sub-state actors, business and community power in contexts of political division, peacebuilding, and building shared futures. My PhD explored active citizenship and community leadership in contexts of political instability, and I have led research, education and knowledge exchange partnerships – from citizen assemblies to research ‘grand challenges’ to a Climate Challenge Cup for Innovation – in over 20 countries.
When not in dialogue, I’m a keen lover of poetry and of spy fiction; a committed but slow trail runner, and a passionate supporter of the arts.