Idependent article dated 1995 featuring JULIA MIDDLETON (main picture), chief executive, Common Purpose
A communitarian before the word was invented: born in London, comes from Bolton, educated in France, lived in a string of European countries and New York as a child and took a BSc in Economics at the LSE. She is 37, married with four small children and reckons to speak better French than English. She started off in employee relations with the Industrial Society before moving to Petrofina, British Home Stores and back to the Industrial Society, where she launched the Head Start inner cities programme, training unemployed young people. In 1988, she founded Common Purpose, persuading Government and business to stump up pounds 500,000 for the launch of a project that links potential leaders and managers from a range of public and private sectors within cities, and now across cities, through educational training programmes. She has that rare talent to persuade the great and the good - from permanent secretaries to politicians and business managers - to contribute time and effort. Nominated Visionary of the Year in 1992. Frequently head-hunted by the private sector, but not willing to sacrifice her lifestyle and children for money. "What makes me burn is that my own generation must not just drop out of community life and assume that everyone will do it on their behalf," she says. Obvious next job: head of a major charity.
No doubts now as the true collectivist colours of Julia Middleton emerge. And this lady is training our children?
