Sarah Allan

Email: sarah@sarah-allan.net

Twitter: @SarahAllanUK

Sarah is one of the UK’s leading specialists in deliberative engagement. She honed her skills during 10 years at public participation charity Involve, including roles as Head of Engagement, Director of Capacity Building and Standards, and Director of Climate Programmes. She is currently freelancing. 

Sarah’s work includes leading the delivery of high profile citizens’ assemblies, including Climate Assembly UK (UK parliament, 2019-2020), National Assembly for Wales Citizens’ Assembly (2019) and the Citizens’ Assembly on Social Care (UK parliament, 2018), as well as local citizens’ assemblies on topics as diverse as climate change and policing. She was Design and Facilitation Lead for the Citizens’ Assembly on Brexit (2017), in collaboration with the Constitution Unit. 

During her final years at Involve, Sarah developed a particular interest in public engagement in climate decision-making. In addition to Climate Assembly UK, her work includes founding the skills-development-focussed Local Climate Engagement programme for local authorities and their partners, leading hyper-local engagement on a fair transition, research on the impact on climate assemblies on participants and influencers, and a practical guide to the types, roles, and spaces of public engagement on climate. 

Sarah has worked with the UK parliament and National Assembly for Wales to author guidance and training on how parliamentary committees can better engage the public in their work. She also develops and leads projects that focus on giving people with particular life experiences a say in decisions that affect their lives. 

Sarah is an Associate Member of the University of Leeds’ Centre for Democratic Politics.

For further information, see https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahallanuk/