In Smethwick, a town shaped by migration, resilience, and deep community roots, Jenn Harrison BEMhas helped grow a version of leadership that starts not with speeches, but with service. Throughouther career, she has spent more than three decades turning care and compassion into infrastructure,reaching people most in need —In recent years, her role as a Chief Executive Officer has centred onturning a community centre into a thriving hub and catalyst for change.
From food justice to digital inclusion, youth employment to health equity and reducing isolation and loneliness, Jenn Harrison BEM’s work stretches across systems—but always begins with people. At Brasshouse Community Centre, that means warm and welcoming spaces, food provision through the Food Pantry service, counselling support for bereaved and lonely people, welfare advice and guidance, cost of living support, provision of toys, clothing and hygiene support to people most in need, as well as opening the doors for those seeking connection, not just charity.
With her team, Jenn Harrison BEM has developed and delivered many social initiatives focusing on reducing the impacts of poverty, creating thriving places where people feel proud to live where they do. This has been done by supporting people through a range of social projects such as therapeutic creative arts sessions, provision of a food pantry and food provision, delivering creative educational initiatives like sushi-making workshops, slow cooker programmes and provision of budget saving cook books to help people create wholesome and nutritious meals on a low income. She has led initiatives with NHS Property Services to bring one of the first Covid vaccination centres to a community setting to representing her community against developers who wanted to develop on public land, together, they’ve ensured that regeneration plans reflect what residents actually want—and created programmes that meet both immediate needs and long-term hopes.
North Smethwick Development Trust’s mission is to empower local people to lead healthier, happierlives—and Jenn Harrison BEM ensures that mission runsthrough every grant bid, workshop, parkclean-up and strategic partnership. Her leadership style is rooted in presence: not directing from adistance, but walking the walk, knowing the names, showing up and delivering action.
In 2018, Jenn Harrison BEM was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the community.But her real legacy is found in the daily, often unseen work: the child trying something new, thepensioner learning to use a tablet, the mother whofeels safer, more welcome, more heard.
This is place-based change—built carefully, collectively, and with the kind of steady vision that doesn’t just react to crisis, but reimagines what community can be
