Sarah Smith is the Member of Parliament for Hyndburn and Haslingden. She is also the Government’s Opportunity Mission Champion and a member of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee. Prior to being elected Sarah has spent over 15 years tackling educational disadvantage, working for charities that were focused on breaking down the barriers to opportunity that children and young people growing up in more disadvantaged areas face. She co-wrote the policy for the Kickstart scheme, has raised over £20m for youth charities and most recently was leading a whole town approach to reducing youth unemployment in Blackpool. She grew up in northeast Scotland and studied Law in London as well as completing an MSc in Voluntary Sector Management. Her and her family live in Hyndburn, not far from where her husband grew up and where they were married.