Dr Liz Edwards

Dr Liz Edwards is a researcher at the JUST Centre  for Joined Up Sustainability Transformations at the University of Liverpool, where her work explores the role of social and solidarity economies in supporting just climate futures in the North of England.

Her research interests include diverse community economies, social and cultural infrastructure, and the role of everyday spaces in building more inclusive, resourceful and sustainable places. She draws on qualitative, creative and participatory approaches, and her PhD examined social infrastructure in peripheral urban communities across the UK, exploring both the transformative potential and the challenges of sustaining vital community spaces in the context of enduring austerity.

Liz brings over a decade of experience as a senior people practitioner, with expertise in organisational development, organisational culture, workforce planning, leadership and people strategy. Combining academic research with practical organisational experience, she has worked both in-house and as an independent consultant, supporting organisations through start-up, growth and long-term strategic development.

Alongside her professional and academic work, Liz contributes significant governance experience through her six-year tenure as a Trustee of Unity Theatre Liverpool and her current role as a Governor at a specialist independent school for young people with neurodiversity, high levels of anxiety and emotional barriers to school attendance, based on the Wirral.