Welsh charity’s three-year plan to end poverty

Independent think-tank the Bevan Foundation, which champions efforts to address poverty and improve the Welsh economy, has set out a new threeyear plan in which it also aims to double its turnover.

The Merthyr Tydfil-based foundation, a registered charity, was set up in 2001. In its last financial year it generated revenues of £244,000.

Its new plan is based on recent analysis of the challenges facing Wales in the years ahead and focuses on three key themes – equality, justice and prosperity.

Bevan Foundation director Victoria Winckler said: “Forecasts for Wales over the next few years make gloomy reading. We’re determined to do something about the poverty and inequality that blights so many lives. We’re aiming to develop radical ideas to end the inequality that means that men in poor areas die nine years sooner than men in better-off areas, and that children who get free school meals are only half as likely to get five good GCSEs as their peers.”

The foundation has begun work on ensuring work provides a route out of poverty and on strengthening communities experiencing high levels of immigration. In the near future it will look at how to reduce inequalities in health, and at rebuilding the economy of the Heads of the Valleys area.

Former finance minister Jane Hutt AM said: “The Bevan Foundation has made a major contribution to public debate and public policy in Wales and I am delighted to welcome their new strategy. This work is important and valuable in ensuring that we create a Wales where equality, justice and prosperity are accessible to all.”

North Wales AM Mark Isherwood said: “The Bevan Foundation is a big-hitter with small resources. Its vital vision, essential independence and intellectual rigour enable it to produce great work. The strategy recognises that if people and organisations in Wales are going to address the major challenges facing us, we will need to find the underlying causes and do something to address them.”

The Bevan Foundation is funded through a mix of donations, grants from charitable trusts and foundation and commissioned work.

It currently has a workforce of five (3.5 full-time equivalent).