Lisa Denison, the newly appointed Education Business Partnership (EBP) manager for Brighton and Hove, is aiming to bring businesses and schools together.

Lisa started her career working part-time at The Body Shop in Covent Garden, London, while still a student.

She worked her way up to become The Body Shop International's community liaison manager, where she helped develop curriculum-based projects at primary and secondary schools in West Sussex.

She left the The Body Shop to work as a self-employed consultant at Corporate Community Involvement.

Lisa has also undertaken work with the University of Sussex as the learning exchange network manager for West Sussex, where she developed a learning network for the voluntary and community sector.

She said: "I am very pleased to be working with local business, schools and colleges to raise achievement levels in Brighton and Hove.

"There is strong local partnership work going on already, which I will be able to build upon by drawing business support for mentoring and reading schemes.

"In particular, I will be looking at projects which support different elements of the curriculum, such as science, IT and design."

One project already supported by Brighton and Hove EBP is the volunteer reading schemes through Brighton-based companies American Express and Family Assurance.

Brighton and Hove Executive councillor for education Frieda Warman-Brown said: "Brighton and Hove has a good record of partnership working in education, which has been recognised by Ofsted.

"Lisa's very relevant experience will help extend the benefits of that work to more schools, businesses and communities."

Lisa is employed by Brighton and Hove Council's Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate, which supports the Education Business Partnership.

Other partnership members include Sussex Enterprise, local schools and colleges, Sussex Careers Service, local businesses and the Business Community Partnership.

A new EBP chairman, Simon Bamford of Scottish Power, has also been appointed.