Sophie Cloutterbuck

Sophie is the Director of London Engagement and the London Met Lab: Empowering London at London Metropolitan University. She leads the Civic and Community stream of the University's strategy and is a passionate advocate for civic engagement.

Her commitment to community impact is evident through her numerous roles and affiliations. She is a member of the UK's National Civic University Advisory Board, a Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Place Fellow, and Chair of London Higher's Civic Network.

Sophie's work is grounded in a deep understanding of the interconnectedness between academia and the community. She collaborates with colleagues across the University and the wider community to ensure that London Met fulfils its role as a civic university, creating opportunities for students to develop into value-driven leaders.

Sophie plays a key role in the UK's civic university movement. She serves on the National Civic University Advisory Panel, is an LPIP Fellow, and chairs London Higher's Civic Network, fostering collaboration and innovation across the higher education sector.

Her extensive contributions to London's civic landscape include membership on various boards and working groups within local government, the National Health Service, and community organisations. These include the London Anchor Institution Network's (LAIN) Hiring & Skills and Place working groups and the Tower Hamlets Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC). Additionally, Sophie is a Trustee for the London charity Friends of Upward Bound.

With a background in youth work and over 20 years of experience at London Metropolitan University—including her previous role as Head of Outreach and Widening Participation—Sophie brings a wealth of practical expertise to her current position. Her early career transition from finance was inspired by her volunteer work with at-risk young people, where she witnessed the transformative potential of community engagement.

A proud alumna of London Metropolitan University, Sophie holds a Master of Education (2011) and a BSc (Hons) in Sociology from its predecessor institution, London Guildhall University.

Sophie Cloutterbuck

 

 

More about Sophie Cloutterbuck

Papers

Book Chapters 

  • Chapter 17: Students as Partners and Peer Coaches in Student Engagement: Themes from PASS Scheme Biographies. A Handbook for Student Engagement in Higher Education: Lowe Tom, El Hakim Yassein: SEDA 2020
  • Chapter XX -Community Engaged Learning in Higher Education: A Decolonial Approach to Experiential Learning Editor(s): Andrew Pitchford, Pooja Thomas, and Sonal Purohit, Routledge – To be published 

Blogs

Videos/Podcasts

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Sophie Cloutterbuck
Director of London Engagement
E: s.cloutterbuck@londonmet.ac.uk