Joanne Cash facts for kids

Joanne Cash (born 28 December 1969) is a special kind of lawyer called a barrister. She works mainly with media, like newspapers and TV. She also tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Conservative Party in 2010, but she didn't win.

Early Life and Learning

Joanne Cash was born in Northern Ireland. Her mom ran a news shop, and her dad worked many different jobs, sometimes three at once! She has a brother who is a doctor and a sister who is a teacher.

Joanne went to state schools called Tandragee Primary and Banbridge Academy. After that, she studied English Literature at Lady Margaret Hall, which is part of Oxford University. While at Oxford, she was chosen to be the Librarian of the Oxford Union, a famous debating society. She tried to become its president but wasn't successful.

Her Career as a Lawyer

After university, Joanne Cash became a barrister. This means she is a lawyer who can argue cases in court. She officially became a barrister in 1994.

In 2000, she started to focus on cases about libel (when someone writes something false and damaging about another person), privacy, and freedom of speech. She believes it's very important for the press (newspapers and media) to be free to report the truth. She has argued that laws should protect journalists more when they write about public figures.

Joanne has helped many famous people in her legal work, including model Elle Macpherson and producer Trudie Styler.

In 2009, an article in The Observer newspaper called her a "freedom fighter" because of her work. The British Vogue magazine also listed her as one of the 50 most important women of her time, alongside people like Michelle Obama and the Queen!

Trying to Become an MP

Joanne Cash is a member of the Society of Conservative Lawyers. This group helps the Conservative Party with legal advice. She also worked with a group called Policy Exchange to help create new ideas for laws, especially about media. She strongly supports changing libel laws to protect free speech.

In 2006, she decided to try and become a Member of Parliament (MP). She was chosen to run for the Westminster North area in London. This was the first and only place she tried to get selected for.

Magazines like Tatler and The Times thought she was a rising star in the Conservative Party. They even suggested she might become a future Housing Minister! She was seen as a "Cameron Cutie," which was a nickname for new, young female Conservative candidates supported by David Cameron, who later became Prime Minister.

However, in February 2010, Joanne had some disagreements with local members of her party about how to win the election. The party leader, David Cameron, even got involved. Joanne briefly resigned as a candidate, but the party didn't accept it, and she continued to campaign.

In the election in May 2010, Joanne Cash did not win the seat. The Labour Party candidate, Karen Buck, won instead. After the election, Joanne said that the media had spread untrue stories about her.

Helping Parents with Mind Gym

After her experience running for election in London, Joanne Cash helped start a program called Parent Gym. This program is part of a company called Mind Gym. Parent Gym offers workshops to help parents learn new skills and feel more confident. The goal is to improve the well-being of children by supporting their parents.

Because Parent Gym was so successful, Joanne became a director on the board of Mind Gym in 2012. By 2014, she became the chair of the board, leading the company.

Her Family Life

In December 2007, Joanne Cash married Octavius Black. He is the person who started The Mind Gym company. Many important friends attended their wedding, including politicians like Ed Vaizey and Michael Gove. Octavius Black went to school with David Cameron, and they are still close friends.

Joanne and Octavius live in Notting Hill, a part of London. They have one daughter.