The Jo Cox Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of two new members to its Board of Trustees: Dame Tracey Crouch DBE and Seema Kennedy OBE, both former Conservative Members of Parliament who played a significant role in placing loneliness on the national agenda. The appointments come as the Foundation prepares to mark 10 years since the murder of Jo Cox MP in June, by advancing issues she was passionate about – including tackling loneliness.
Before her murder in 2016, Jo established the cross-party Commission on Loneliness with Seema Kennedy OBE, in order to shine a spotlight on the millions of people feeling lonely in our communities and the devastating impact that is having on our country’s health, wellbeing and productivity. Jo’s passion for addressing loneliness came from her own experiences of loneliness at university and from listening to the voices of her constituents on the doorsteps of Batley & Spen.
Seema Kennedy OBE continued her work as co-chair of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness after Jo’s murder, leading to the creation of the UK Government’s first national loneliness strategy and the world’s first Minister for Loneliness, Dame Tracey Crouch DBE.
Dame Tracey Crouch DBE said:
“I always felt it a real privilege to have been the first loneliness minister and while I was appointed to do a job, I got so much out of it personally. By joining the Jo Cox Foundation board, I feel like I get to give something back and help continue to the conversation on loneliness at a time when we need action more than ever”
Seema Kennedy OBE said:
“It is an honour to join the Board of The Jo Cox Foundation as we approach the tenth anniversary of Jo’s death. Jo was not only a colleague but a powerful champion for those experiencing loneliness, and I was proud to work alongside her in establishing the Commission on Loneliness to bring this issue into the national conversation. While important progress has been made, loneliness continues to affect millions of people across our communities. I look forward to supporting the Foundation’s work to carry forward Jo’s legacy and to ensure that connection, compassion and community remain at the heart of public life.”
Sister of Jo Cox, Kim Leadbeater MP MBE:
“I am delighted to welcome Tracey and Seema to the board of the Jo Cox Foundation. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with them over the years on a range of issues. I know they will bring an enormous amount of experience and expertise to the work of Jo’s foundation, building on the cross-party work on loneliness they both dedicated huge amounts of time to following Jo’s murder.”
Baroness Jan Royall, Chair of The Jo Cox Foundation, said:
“As we approach the ten-year anniversary of Jo’s murder, re-energising the loneliness agenda is a powerful way we can honour her legacy. Jo believed deeply that we have more in common than that which divides us, and she brought people together across political and community lines to confront loneliness head-on. A decade on, our responsibility is not simply to remember her vision, but to carry it forward.”
Olivia Field, Chief Executive at The Jo Cox Foundation, said:
“I am particularly moved to see some of the original players—those who were instrumental in securing the world’s first loneliness strategy and the first Minister herself—coming back together through The Jo Cox Foundation. Their expertise, combined with this renewed momentum, is exactly what the country needs right now to ensure no one feels they have to face life alone. When we feel connected, we’re healthier, we’re happier, and we’re better able to contribute to the world around us.”