Jess Achilleos

In a previous life, Jess was a Gym Instructor and then a Retail Manager. Her undergraduate degree was in French and Philosophy. When she realised that Retail Management was not for her, she returned to study to gain the Professional Qualification and Masters in Youth and Community Work here at Wrexham University.

She has worked across the North West of England delivering and developing projects to support vulnerable young people. She has worked in partnership with Youth Offending Services, Social Services, Senior Leadership Teams in secondary schools and other Voluntary Sector services to ensure that young people are listened to and supported.

She has set up and managed Alternative Education Programmes for young people who are unable to access school or college. She still practices as a Detached Youth Worker on the Wirral.

She joined Wrexham University in 2015 and is passionate about ensuring education is accessible and inclusive for everyone. She leads and support various projects to develop equality and diversity in Higher Education ranging from Race Equality to fair assessment practices.

She has secured funding for Youth Work projects and research here at Wrexham University, including the evaluation of the Youth Work Strategy for Wales (2017).

Outside of work she is politically active in her community and volunteers for a local charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers. She has three big dogs that keep her sane so she walks a lot!