Director of Policy and Social Value, Shaw Trust

Policy Fellow of the Centre for Science and Policy

Sara Allen is Director of Policy and Social Value and Shaw Trust.

Previously she was Deputy Director of Civil Society Strategy and Analysis, in the Civil Society and Youth Directorate in DCMS. She was responsible for the directorate's work on levelling up, on tackling civil society data, on the sponsorship of the Charity Commission, and charity law.

A civil servant since 2008, Sara set up and led the Charity Commission policy unit, led the Dementia Innovation Unit in the Department of Health, and was private secretary to the Cabinet Secretary.

During a career break, Sara founded Further&More, a project focussed on growing job-sharing as a route to diversity in the workplace. She also worked for Jo Swinson, providing the Leader of the Liberal Democrats with policy advice; and was seconded to Nesta and Notting Hill Housing Association.

Sara has a first class Politics, Philosophy and Sociology degree from Bristol University, and an MA (distinction) in History of Art from Sussex University.