Charity champion Julie Kent MBE honoured by University of Gloucestershire

Charity fundraiser, campaigner and High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, Julie Kent MBE, has received an Honorary Fellowship from University of Gloucestershire in recognition of her outstanding dedication to charitable causes, inspirational advocacy for cancer awareness, and decades of service to the community.

Thirty years ago, following the tragic loss of her first daughter Emily to a brain tumour, Julie and her husband Bernard established the Emily Kent Trust. Their efforts led to the opening of the Emily Kent Unit, the children’s cancer ward at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, in 2004.

More recently, Julie led the Emily’s Gift campaign, raising £500,000 in only one year to fund a psychologist on the unit for the next decade. The campaign, part of the Pied Piper Appeal, has also secured funding for a blood sampling machine to support young cancer patients.

After facing her own breast cancer diagnosis, Julie launched ‘Let’s Use the C Word’, a candid and empowering campaign encouraging people to talk openly about symptoms and the emotional realities of diagnosis and treatment.

Julie, who describes her life as one of “grief, grit and resilience, glamour and giving”, continues to raise awareness and inspire others to seek help early through her blog and social media.

Receiving her Honorary Fellowship today at one of the University’s 2025 Graduation Ceremonies being held this week at Cheltenham Racecourse, Julie said:

“I am so honoured to receive this Honorary Fellowship from the University. I couldn’t believe it when I received an email about it as I had been helping to gather information to put an application for a fellow charity volunteer for an award.

“I did a three-year course in Jazz and Light music at Leeds College of Music after leaving school, but because it was a course based on becoming a professional musician, we didn’t have a graduation ceremony. Everyone was too busy playing all over the world in the entertainment sector as soon as the course finished.

“It is an emotional feeling to gain recognition for fundraising for children with cancer. The words children and cancer should never be in the same sentence and when we lost our daughter to a brain tumour at the age of three, I had no idea it would take me on an immotive journey helping families cope with a child on treatment for sometimes years and try to keep their family unit together.

“I dedicate this award to Emily who through our loss has made such a difference for other families, especially through my last campaign ‘Emily’s Gift’.

“I believe that we must always try to turn a negative, no matter how harrowing, into a positive in some way and that has always been my mission in every aspect of my life.”

Born in Gloucester, Julie began her career as a jazz musician before spending nearly 30 years as a teacher and housemistress at Dean Close School, all while performing across the country and supporting numerous local charities.

She has served as Vice-Chair of the Pied Piper Appeal, Chair of Cheltenham Open Door, and Trustee of Goals Beyond Grass.

Julie’s outstanding contribution to charity has earned her numerous accolades, including being named among the 50 Greatest Women in Gloucestershire, the Most Outstanding Woman in the Charitable Sector in the West, and receiving an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2020. She served as Warden of the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire (2023/24) before being appointed High Sheriff of Gloucestershire.