Joy Squires

https://www.labour.org.uk/people/detail/Joy-Squires

Joy Squires
Candidate for Worcester

Joy Squires has lived in Worcester for nearly thirty years, playing a full part in the life of the city throughout that time, including many years as a leading Labour city councillor.

Towards the end of a twenty year career as a University Lecturer in Politics and European Studies, Joy became increasingly interested in researching how local communities influenced decision makers in the formulation of public policy. This led to a new career as a consultant in regeneration, supporting local community groups nationwide to participate and lead on projects like New Deal for Communities and SureStart. Joy now specialises in supporting the development of integrated and accessible services for children and families and has advised a large number of local authorities on how to achieve this through Children’s Centres and workforce reform.

Locally, Joy is well known for her commitment to working with local residents to improve their neighbourhoods and for her support to community based initiatives. As a long standing Board member of a large West Midlands Housing Group, she campaigns strongly for more affordable housing in Worcester and has successfully influenced measures to improve private rented housing in the city. Joy is particularly concerned about the threat to local health services and is campaigning to stop the closure of the Worcester Walk-In Centre.

Joy grew up on a council estate near Shrewsbury and was the first in her family to get a degree.