Alison Lowe

SpecialityCEO, Touchstone Support

Alison Lowe has worked with Voluntary Organisations for nearly 30 years. Right now she works as the Chief Executive of Touchstone a Mental Health Charity in Leeds and wider West Yorkshire. Touchstone work with and for people that are affected by mental health problems and they specialise in working with people from different cultural backgrounds. Touchstone have received multiple awards for their work in inclusion and diversity, including the number 1 spot in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 UK Top 50 Most Inclusive Employers Award and the 2018 National Diversity Award for Most Diverse Company.  They are a Stonewall Top 100 LGBT-Friendly Employer for the 8th year running and are again a 3 Star Extraordinary Sunday Times Best Company to work for in 2020, being placed in the top 10 for the last 4 years. Additionally, Touchstone were judged to be Investors in People Platinum at their latest assessment – only the third organisation in Yorkshire to gain this accolade and one of six charities nationally.

Before Alison started working with Touchstone she was a senior manager with Foundation Housing, a charity that supports people that have just come out of prison or are on bail to find housing.

Alison has been involved in local government for 29 years and was a councillor with the Labour Party. Alison was also the Chair of the Police and Crime Panel, the body that scrutinises the performance of the Police and Crime Commissioner and represents the interests of all the 2.2 million people across West Yorkshire.  Alison was the Deputy Lord Mayor of Leeds in 2003-4 and was made an Honorary Alderman of the city in 2020.

Alison is chair of Leeds Survivor-led Crisis Service and is a trustee at several charities including Wooden Spoon which raises money for disadvantaged children.

Over the years, Alison has been a well known campaigner on equal rights and chaired the Leeds Domestic Violence Forum that raises awareness of domestic violence against women and children by known men for over 25 years.

Alison Lowe holds an MA in Medieval Studies from Leeds University and a BA in History. She was invited to become a Windsor Castle Leadership Fellow in 2020.  Alison has 2 grown up children, Adam and Rosy and a grandchild called Mae.