About me
Jeff Banks has led voluntary and community sector organisations for over thirty years, driving change across health, education, and social care. His work is rooted in equality, human rights, and creating truly inclusive environments. He has led several disabled-led organisations and has been a driving force in embedding accessibility and inclusion at the heart of policy, practice, and service design. He opened a fully accessible residential arts education centre in 2011 and founded a STEM free school in 2015. As one of five national directors of the £215m ‘A Better Start’ programme, he co-designed community-led services for families and young children. Most recently, as Director of Strategic Partnerships at an NHS Integrated Care System, he led the development of an Integrated Care Partnership and system-wide strategy. Now CEO of the Lightyear Foundation - the UK’s only disabled-led organisation championing the inclusion of disabled and neurodivergent young people in STEM - Jeff continues to drive inclusive engagement in science and technology - recognising that accessibility requires intention, collaboration, and continuous learning. Jeff draws upon his long-standing lived experience of disability and, more recently, deafness. He is also a fluent British Sign Language user.
