Gillian is Head of Philanthropy for The Open University and brings over 11 years’ experience in fundraising for the higher education sector, working with a diverse range of trusts and foundations, corporate organisations and private indivdiuals. Gillian grew up near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire and is passionate about supporting the local area, having served as trustee to a local youth mental health charity, as a school governor and editor of her villages parish magazine. She lives in a small village near the city, with her partner and Kira the dog.