Jane Slowey has been Chief Executive of the Foyer Federation since September 2004.  

She has extensive experience of both the Third sector and of government at local, regional and national level and has contributed to the development of public policy right across government. Jane is Chair of Skills – Third Sector, a national charity that champions skills development among volunteers and paid staff in voluntary organizations, charities and social enterprises and was Vice Chair of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) for six years. Jane was a member of the first Birmingham University Policy Commission, which produced a report on the future of local public services.

Jane spent six years as Chief Executive of Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC), one of the largest Councils for Voluntary Service in the country. She was a member of the City Strategic Partnership.  She represented the voluntary and community sector on the West Midlands Regional Assembly where, as Vice Chair, she worked closely local authority and business representatives to raise the profile of the region and its economic and social contribution.  Jane was an elected member of Birmingham City Council for eight years. She chaired the Community Affairs Committee, served on the Housing and Economic Development Committees and made a significant contribution to the development of the City Council’s devolution policy in the 1990s. 

Jane was awarded the CBE for services to disadvantaged young people in the 2009 Queen’s Birthday Honours list and has received honorary degrees from Newman University College and Birmingham University. She sings in the Parliament Choir.

Jane will be speaking about how the student movement can work with other voluntary and community organisations to maximise their social impact.