Director of Communications and External Affairs
Jess is a communications specialist with a wealth of experience supporting charities, companies and media organisations. This includes leading creative campaigns, engaging partners and stakeholders, building thought leadership, developing and placing impactful content, and elevating messaging across a range of platforms and with diverse audiences.
Having led both the day-to-day and the strategic direction of The Young Foundation’s C&EA work since 2021, Jess communicates our programmes, research and initiatives, and builds political engagement and influence, driving impact across multiple programmes.
Jess was previously Media and Content Editor at Jisc, a not-for-profit member organisation for the education and technology sectors. Her background is in journalism. She was an Editor at The Guardian and The Independent, and freelanced for broadsheets, charities and companies as a writer, editor and communications specialist. Throughout her career, Jess has focused on communicating the experiences and priorities of traditionally disadvantaged and under-represented communities.
Contact information
[email protected]Contributions
AI in the charity sector: ‘How organisations can be both people-powered and tech-enabled’
Blog Posted on: 2 April 2026
Beyond tourism: the challenges and opportunities facing UK coastal communities
Feature Posted on: 17 March 2026
How can the UK adapt to multi-party politics? Lessons from Gorton and Denton
Blog Posted on: 6 March 2026
‘Putting local people at the heart of policy’
Blog Posted on: 9 July 2024
Rewriting the rulebook
Publication Posted on: 9 July 2024
‘A chance to rewrite the rulebook and govern differently’
Blog Posted on: 4 July 2024