email: [email protected]

phone: 0778 2222087

twitter: @rachaelloftus

website: http://rachaelloftus.blogspot.com

Rachael Loftus has been the programme manager for harmonious communities for Leeds City Council for the past 5 years. This encompasses work on positive community relations, social cohesion, equalities and integration. She leads on the partnership work on Safer and Stronger Communities; Migration; Gypsy, Traveller and Roma and Black and Minority Ethnic communities. She is currently leading on the Leeds Poverty Challenge, recruiting people with direct experience of poverty and supporting them to work with policy makers and politicians to better understand the roots of and routes out of poverty.   

Rachael has previously worked in the voluntary sector at the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Forum on regeneration and third sector development and at the Leeds Accommodation Forum on housing and homelessness. She has also worked internationally with the Football Supporters' Federation, representing the views of travelling football fans to the authorities and the media and for the Japanese government, developing rural communities in Japan.  

She is currently working on the Leeds Poverty Truth Challenge, helping a group of people with direct experience of poverty to work together with people with the power and influence to do something about it. Rachael holds an MA from the University of Aberdeen, and has also studied at the Université d’Artois and Leeds Metropolitan University. Rachael is a founder member of the Leeds City of Sanctuary movement, she is a trustee of Leeds Irish Health and Homes and Dosti - Asian women's support service.

Subjects: Benefits & Welfare, Equalities (Women), Equalities (Race), Housing & Homelessness, Immigration, Local Government & Communities (General), Community Relations, Football Fans

Regions: London, North East, North West, Scotland, Yorkshire & Humber