14 Facts About Gemma Tumelty

Gemma Tumelty was the NUS National Secretary from 2005 to 2006, and a member of its National Executive Committee for two years before that.

Gemma Tumelty was born in Weston-super-Mare, and grew up in Burnham-on-Sea.

Gemma Tumelty graduated in psychology from Liverpool John Moores University in 2005.

Gemma Tumelty was previously Women's Officer and then Vice President Welfare in Liverpool Students' Union.

Gemma Tumelty was elected as National Secretary of the NUS in April 2005 at the NUS Conference in Blackpool.

Gemma Tumelty was first elected NUS President in March 2006, being the first NUS president from a post-1992 university.

In 2006, Gemma Tumelty led the NUS in signing an accord with the Trades Union Congress.

Gemma Tumelty was re-elected on 28 March 2007 and served a full term until July 2008 when she was succeeded by Labour Students's Wes Streeting.

Gemma Tumelty wrote a weekly blog for the Education section of The Guardian.

Gemma Tumelty started work in the International Department of the TUC in 2009 and then worked in the Campaigns and Communications Department, organising domestic, mostly public sector, anti-cuts campaigns and TUC annual congress.

In 2011 Gemma Tumelty became a trustee of Kick 4 Life, a charity which uses the power of football and sport to transform the lives of some of the most disadvantaged boys and girls in the world.

In 2012 Gemma Tumelty was shortlisted to become the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Bristol West constituency, but lost to Thangam Debbonaire despite high-profile backing from senior politicians such as Jon Cruddas and Emily Thornberry.

In July 2013 Gemma Tumelty left her position as Campaigns and Events Officer at the TUC to join the Office of the Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband as the Stakeholder Relations Manager.

Gemma Tumelty left this position in May 2014 to return to Bristol.