Jack Monroe

University of Essex Honorary Graduate Jack Monroe has been shortlisted in the media category of this year’s Women of the Future Awards.

Jack, an award-winning, Essex-born writer and campaigner on poverty issues, was awarded an Honorary Degree at Graduation in July.

The Women of the Future Awards are a platform for successful young women and recognise the inspirational stars of tomorrow across diverse sectors.

Jack turned her life around from being a single mum living below the breadline to becoming an inspirational campaigner on poverty issues.

Her trailblazing blog A Girl Called Jack has been praised universally for showing the community at large how it is possible to cook healthy family meals on a miniscule budget.

Her campaigning about poverty has since taken her from Tanzania to teaching cooking to single mothers in food banks. Jack has now written two cookbooks, is a columnist in the Guardian and is an active campaigner highlighting a number of issues around poverty and food. She is a patron of The Food Chain and supports The Trussell Trust, Child Poverty Action Group, and Oxfam.

Her blog continues to inspire cooks everywhere that you don’t have to be rich to enjoy good food.