Alison was born in Clatterbridge hospital in December 1980. Her dad was a telecomms engineer for British Rail, and her mum was a nurse. They lived in Brookhurst Avenue, Bromborough, but moved round the corner to Allport Road a few years later. She has an older sister and younger brother, and they all attended Brookhurst Primary, and then Wirral Grammar School.

After graduating from University College London with a degree in Philosophy, Alison worked in the House of Commons as a researcher. However, she was keen to experience the world outside politics, and left to join Network Rail, where she handled communications for the first new station in South London since the war, and many other large engineering projects. Her time there coincided with Network Rail's expansion of its apprenticeships programme, and she is proud to have met some of the UK's future great railway engineers.

In 2006, Alison was elected to serve as a Labour councillor for Camberwell, her locality in London. She was concerned that her local swimming pool – a beautiful but crumbling Victorian Baths – would be forced to close. She joined a community campaign for redevelopment of the facility. Following a huge petition, photo shoots with local children, and visits from the government sports minister, the campaign won the day, with a £4.5million redevelopment package agreed. Alison made full use of her position as a councillor to make sure this important facility was secured for younger and older people in the area. 

She also became a trustee of the leading edge contemporary art gallery – the South London Gallery, and has overseen a £1.8m investment that will result in a new education, gallery and cafe space, opening in June 2010.

Having grown up with the exciting music scene in Liverpool and as Councillor for a creative hub like Camberwell, Alison caught the culture bug, and eventually went to work for The Art Fund and then Creativity, Culture and Education, which helps young people to achieve their potential in and through the arts.

Alison's family has been an inspiration to her. Her late grandfather, Peter McGovern, who died in 2006, was a Liverpool folk singer, writing the city's anthem, 'In My Liverpool Home'. He ran the folk club 'The Washhouse' where he once topped the bill over American singer, Paul Simon. Peter was also a long serving trade unionist and secretary of the Merseyside Pensioner's Association and spent most of his life campaigning (at meetings and in song) for the dignity of working people to have a good life and retirement. 

Her mum, Ann, set up Stepping Stones with other women, a not-for-profit pre-school, when there was no Government support for child care before school, and her Dad, Mike, spent many years campaigning for better working conditions with his trade union. Alison is married to Ashwin Kumar.

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