Jayne Bradley

Jayne’s career background is in community regeneration, neighbourhood development and public art in London and Birmingham. All helpful, useful experience, but not the stuff of scientists (though she has developed a module on Local Food Systems for Aston University,  and has led sessions on Innovative Sustainability at the School of Architecture at Birmingham City University).

It is her passion for food, however, that has led her into the New Optimists ambit. She completed her MSc in Food Policy at City University under Tim Lang in 2010, and now advises developers, architects, urban designers and regeneration agencies on sustainable food systems under the policy drivers of local-economic, public health and climate change.

In March 2012, she opens the first city food park in Birmingham called Edible Eastside — a demonstration of how to grow food in the most unlikely of urban environments.

She was also part of the team to bid successfully for the redevelopment of the Clock Tower in Birmingham committed to transform it into a food hub with a dedicated community school of artisan cookery. She’s the person developing a new CIC to run the school, called Kitchen, which will open in March 2013.

No surprise then that she’s one of the people engaged in the Forum. As a starter for ten, she’s participating in the event on 9th February 2012 on food deserts/food poverty in Birmingham.