The Jo Cox Foundation is delighted to announce that Jan Royall, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, has been appointed as the charity’s new Chair by the Board of Trustees, and will take up the role in September 2025.
The move comes following the departure of the Rt Hon Jacqui Smith as Chair in July 2024, since which time Rosamund Blomfield-Smith has led the Board of Trustees in the capacity of Interim Chair.
The Jo Cox Foundation was created in the wake of Jo’s murder to carry forward work on issues that Jo was passionate about. The charity works in three areas: nurturing stronger communities, championing respect in politics and advocating for a fairer world. Underpinning this work is the understanding that we have more in common than that which divides us.
Each year since Jo’s murder, the Foundation has helped to organise the Great Get Together, an annual celebration of everything that unites our communities, which since its inception has brought hundreds of thousands of people together through community events to celebrate unity and reject division.
Get Togethers are held across the country every year to remember Jo and the ‘more in common’ values she stood for. The annual ‘Great Parliamentary Get Together’ was held for the first time in the Speaker’s House at Westminster last month.
Jo’s sister Kim Leadbeater MP was joined by senior political figures including former Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak and Theresa May, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper and the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle. MPs from across the House, staff members and representatives of organisations supporting issues that Jo cared about joined the event. Jo and Kim’s parents, Gordon and Jean Leadbeater, and Jo’s children, Cuillin and Lejla were special guests.
This year’s Great Get Together was held over the weekend of 20-22 June with thousands of people attending community events that took place all over the country, from a Craft and Craic in Belfast and a walk on the Isle of Wight, to a tri-nations kabaddi showdown in Hartlepool and a Sunday lunch that brought Jewish and Muslim women together.
Jan has had a distinguished career in public life, notably serving as Chief Whip in the House of Lords and then Leader of the House from 2008-2010. She also served as Shadow Leader of the House of Lords from 2010-2015.
Prior to her parliamentary career, she was a senior adviser in the European Commission before heading its representation in Wales. In 2004 she was appointed to the Lords as Baroness Royall of Blaisdon and in 2005 became a Government Spokesperson for Health, International Development, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Jan stepped down from frontbench politics in 2015, and since 2017 she has been Principal of Somerville College, a role from which she will step down this August.
Jan is a trustee, patron and active supporter of many other charities and organizations including Full Fact, the Centre for Opposition Studies, Asylum Welcome and the ASHA Centre. She is co-chair of the Oxford inclusive Economy Partnership. She was formerly chair of the People’s History Museum, Pro Chancellor of the University of Bath and Vice President of the Party of European Socialists.
Commenting on her appointment, Baroness Jan Royall said:
“It is a privilege to be the new Chair of the brilliant Jo Cox Foundation, to carry forward its work fostering change in our communities, in politics and in the world. This very special charity, guided by my friend Jo’s vision and values, becomes more relevant by the day with the need to bridge deep divisions in our society, restore respect in our politics and champion social justice in our world.”
Interim Chair of The Jo Cox Foundation, Rosamund Blomfield-Smith said:
“It has been a great privilege to serve as the interim chair of the Jo Cox Foundation for the past year but I look forward with great pleasure to handing over the reins to Jan. I am delighted that someone of her calibre, strength of character and commitment to so many of the causes and qualities which Jo held dear has accepted the challenge of leading the brilliant organisation founded in Jo’s name at this exciting time and I look forward to working with Jan over the years to come.”
Jo’s sister Kim Leadbeater MP said:
“I’m delighted to see Jan Royall taking up the role of JCF chair. Like Jo she is a strong woman driven by compassion and a powerful determination to make a difference. She brings huge experience and expertise to the job and I look forward to working with her on the many issues that Jo cared about.”
Jo’s widower Brendan Cox said:
“Jo was a huge fan of Jan’s and they worked closely together over many years. She’d be delighted Jan has agreed to chair the foundation in her name.”