Our People

Victoria Winckler

Director

Dr Victoria Winckler has been the Director of the Bevan Foundation since 2002, establishing it as Wales’ most influential think-tank.

Victoria is a leading contributor to public policy in Wales, developing ideas and taking them forward to implementation. She proved that extending eligibility for free school meals was affordable, demonstrated how devolved grants and allowances could be streamlined into a single system, and persuaded the Welsh Government to boost emergency cash funds for people in crisis.  She previously developed the proposals that secured EU Objective 1 status for West Wales and the Valleys, galvanised action for the south Wales valleys, and triggered plans for new, devolved taxes.

Victoria frequently gives expert evidence to Senedd Committees, speaks at conferences  and comments in the media.  Victoria previously held roles in local government and academia, and been a board member of several organisations.

Victoria holds a BA (Hons), MSc and PhD.

Rachael Simmonds

Finance Officer

Rachael joined the Bevan Foundation in 2010 as Finance Officer, from a background in local government including in working in social services finance, rent and council tax.

Rachael now manages all aspects of the Foundation’s income and expenditure and is qualified to NVQ level 3 in business and administration.

Rachael took a career break in 2012, returning to the Bevan Foundation in 2014.

Dr Steffan Evans

Head of Policy (Poverty)

Steffan joined the Bevan Foundation in July 2018 after working as a participation officer at TPAS Cymru.

In 2018 Steffan graduated with a PhD from the Wales Governance Centre, at the School of Law and Politics at Cardiff University. His research examined the impact of devolution on social housing regulation in Wales and England, exploring how and why the law had diverged between both nations.

Steffan is leading on the Bevan Foundation’s work on poverty. During his time at the Foundation he has worked on a variety of policy areas including free school meals, the social security system and the response to the Covid 19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.

Among the areas that Steffan is currently working on are access to housing for low income renters, and the need to establish a Welsh Benefits System.

Wendy Dearden

Senior Policy & Research Officer

Wendy joined the Bevan Foundation in February 2024 to lead our housing projects with a specific focus on boosting the supply of social homes.

She began her career in housing over 25 years ago and has worked in a wide variety of roles including frontline housing management, policy and strategy development and affordable housing delivery. She joins us from Shelter Cymru where she held the post of Policy and Public Affairs Manager.

Wendy has a BSc Hons in Housing Studies and is a corporate member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Joel Davies

Policy & Research Officer

Joel joined the Bevan Foundation in February 2024 as a policy and research officer within the poverty team.

Joel completed his MSc in Human Geography: Society and Space at the University of Bristol’s School of Geographical Sciences in 2022. He also holds an undergraduate degree in Philosophy from King’s College, London.

Isata Kanneh

Project Lead, Access to Justice

Isata joined the Bevan Foundation in November 2022 as Project Lead for the Access to Justice project.

Isata has worked as a freelance project manager for over twenty years. She has worked on many and varied projects supporting and promoting the work of migrants and refugees and in the areas of children’s rights, equalities, and community participation. Isata currently sits as a Lay Member on the Welsh Language Tribunal. She has an MA in Race and Ethnic Studies.

Elinor Mattey

Project Officer, Access to Justice

Elinor joined the Bevan Foundation in October 2022 as an access to justice project officer for migration.  

Elinor has an undergraduate degree in Law, and has recently graduated from Swansea University with a Masters degree in Human Rights. Over the course of her most recent studies, she has focussed on asylum and migration, international human rights law, and her dissertation explored the protection of the cultural rights of Gypsy and Traveller Communities in the UK.  

Elinor is currently looking at how to increase access to advice on immigration matters in Wales.  

Kate Haywood

No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) Partnership Coordinator

Kate joined the Bevan Foundation in October 2024 after spending thirteen years as a Senior Lecturer in Youth Work and Youth Justice at the University of South Wales.

As NRPF Partnership Coordinator, Kate supports collaboration between local authorities and third sector organisations to increase support for children and families facing poverty.

Kate has an MA in Education and is a final year PhD student examining the role of restorative practices as a tool for community building and conflict resolution in Welsh schools. Outside her role, Kate is a member of Newport Fairness Commission and Vice Chair at Community House, Newport.

Caroline Richards

Communications & Marketing Officer

Caroline joined the Bevan Foundation in November 2023 and works across all areas of its communications and marketing.

Caroline studied English at the University of Exeter and holds an MA in Arts Management from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Before joining the Bevan Foundation, Caroline worked in arts marketing for various organisations including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and St David’s Hall.

Gavin Thompson

Chair

Gavin became Chair of the Bevan Foundation in July 2023.  He is regional editor Wales at local news publisher Newsquest, a role that includes being editor of the South Wales Argus, a daily newspaper and online news platform based in Newport, and other titles. He has been in the news industry for more than 20 years, starting as a reporter and working his way up to become an editor. He joined Newsquest in Wales in 2020.

Through his career, Gavin has championed the importance of local newspapers in communities. He has previously been a voluntary director of the Bath Business Improvement District.

John Chown

Treasurer

John is an experienced chartered accountant and during his career he has had a professional involvement in providing assurance services, advice, support and training to a wide range of people and organisations but specifically in relation to the not for profit sector, covering charities, social businesses, credit unions and other voluntary organisations.

His other current voluntary activities include being a board member or trustee of Cwmpas, Cynon Taf Housing Association and its subsidiary Down to Zero (addressing carbon sequestration and carrying out related community complementary activities), Daring to Dream (a charity addressing the emotional wellbeing of patients and people with chronic health conditions throughout Wales) and Ynni Teg Cyf (a community energy company).

John joined the Bevan Foundation board in January 2020.

Bishop John D E Davies

Trustee

Bishop John Davies graduated in law from the University of Southampton. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1977, specialising in criminal law and, after ordination, completed a master’s degree in Canon Law. Bishop John was ordained in 1984 and initially served in the Diocese of Monmouth before his appointment as Dean of Brecon Cathedral in 2000.  He was elected as Bishop of Swansea and Brecon in 2008 and as Archbishop of Wales in 2017. Bishop John retired in 2021.

Bishop John is profoundly interested in matters of social justice and has spoken out on a range of issues, including urban and rural deprivation,  homelessness and housing, organ donation, assisted dying and poverty. Having served as the chairman of the trustees of a large hospice in Newport, he also has a deep concern for the just provision of healthcare, not least for those in the final stages of life. He is the chair of the Steering Group of Housing Justice Cymru and is a trustee of Housing Justice and Adferiad Recovery. Until 2023 he also served as trustee of Cymru Older People’s Alliance.

Bishop John joined the Bevan Foundation board in 2021

Lynne Hughes

Trustee

Lynne is Assistant Director Community Engagement, Involvement and Development of Marie Curie Care, a role she took up in 2022.

She began her career as a nurse before becoming a Public Health Specialist. She held a number of roles in the health service, including the RCN, and has also been the Wales Programme Manager for Oxfam, Director (Wales) of MS Society as well as working for two Assembly Members.

She has previously represented St James ward on Caerphilly County Borough Council.

Lynne joined the Bevan Foundation Board in 2018.

Anthony Hunt

Trustee

Anthony is currently Leader of Torfaen County Borough Council, having been elected to represent Panteg Ward in 2012. He chairs the Cardiff Capital Region Cabinet and is the WLGA Spokesperson on workforce, finance and resources.

Before becoming a councillor, Anthony worked as a researcher at the House of Commons, in the Wales Office and at what was then the Welsh Assembly, gaining experience at every level of Government and working for figures including Paul Murphy when he was Secretary of State in both Wales and Northern Ireland. He holds a degree in Law from Cardiff University. Anthony is a keen cyclist, an avid fan of Bruce Springsteen and an FAW junior football coach.

Anthony joined the Bevan Foundation board in July 2018.

Professor Sally Power

Trustee

Sally is Co-Director of the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research Data and Methods (WISERD).  Her research explores the relationship between education, civil society and inequality in Wales and internationally.

Before joining Cardiff University, Sally was Head of the School of Educational Foundations and Policy Studies at at the Institute of Education, University of London. She has also worked at the Universities of Bristol, Warwick and West of England.

Sally is an elected fellow of the Learned Society for Wales and the Academy of Social Sciences.

Sally joined the Bevan Foundation Board in 2018.

Shavanah Taj

Trustee

Shavanah Taj is General Secretary of the Wales Trades Union Congress (TUC). She joined Wales TUC from her role as Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) Secretary.  Prior to joining PCS, Shavanah worked in retail, call centres and the third sector. From 2018 to 2019, she served as the President of the Wales TUC.

Cardiff born and raised, Shavanah grew up steeped in the trade union movement. Her father was a Health and Safety representative in the steel works.  Shavanah is passionate about equality, social justice and human rights. She is a patron of Show Racism the Red Card Wales, trustee for the Henna Foundation which supports victims and survivors of domestic abuse and honour-based violence and also a trustee for Fio, a grassroots theatre group. Shavanah was recently appointed to the People’s Health Trust. Shavanah lives in Cardiff and is married with two young children, aged 6 and 8.

Shavanah joined the Bevan Foundation board in 2021

Richard Williams

Trustee

Richard is originally from Bethel, near Caernarfon and went to Liverpool University to study Communication Studies and Politics before starting his career in regional newspaper journalism. He went on to become deputy editor of the Daily Post in North Wales and then editor of the Wrexham Evening Leader and the South Wales Echo.

In 2008, Richard moved to the third sector becoming Wales Director for RNID (Royal National Institute of Deaf People). Since 2017, Richard has been Chief Executive of Community Foundation Wales, the independent charitable foundation that connects philanthropy with local communities in Wales. Richard is a father of two and a big football fan, supporting Wrexham Football Club and the Welsh national team. He is a trustee of the Cymru Football Foundation.

Richard joined the Bevan Foundation board in 2021

Rusna Begum

Trustee

Rusna Begum is the CEO and founder of KidCare4U, a Newport-based charity aiding diverse ethnic families. She is a Magistrate for the Gwent bench and an advisory group member for Gwent Police, BBC Children in Need, and the University of South Wales’ EMRAG research group. Rusna also serves on the Board of Trustees for Newport Live, which operates three leisure centres and the Riverfront Theatre.

Passionate about community representation, she advocates for diversity across boards and organisations. Rusna is dedicated to making a difference, particularly for low-income and marginalised communities, leveraging her extensive network and proactive approach.

Rusna joined the Bevan Foundation board in 2024.

Sabrina Dubash

Trustee

Sabrina Dubash is a specialist welfare rights adviser, trainer and editor. She is a barrister (non-practising) with varied experience and focus upon the social welfare legal advice sector. With over 11 years of experience within social welfare legal advice, she has worked in a variety of roles, including as frontline adviser, a second -tier adviser, welfare rights trainer, welfare rights author and as advice centre supervisor, for organisations including Toynbee Hall and Child Poverty Action Group.

She is board member of the Advice Services Alliance (ASA), an umbrella body for independent advice services in the UK. The ASA owns the quality assurance standard, the AQS, awarded to services delivering social welfare legal advice.

Sabrina was born and raised in Merthyr Tydfil and now lives in Cardiff. Working towards better access to advice and justice with the aim of reducing poverty and inequality in Wales is a key focus.

Sabrina joined the Bevan Foundation board in 2024.

Tomos Owen

Trustee

Tomos is currently the Deputy Chief Executive at Oasis, a charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Cardiff and South Wales. He began his career working at several law firms before moving to the third sector.

He has a passion for social justice and human rights advocacy and has been involved with various organisations in this field, most recently as Chair of Cardiff’s Amnesty International Group.

He holds a degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Human Rights Law, both from Cardiff University.

Tomos joined the Bevan Foundation board in 2024.

Laura Shobiye

Trustee

Dr Laura Shobiye is a social science researcher, currently working as the Research Manager for Sported UK and as a Lifelong Learning Lecturer at Cardiff University. She led the delivery of Is Wales Fairer 2023 report in her previous role at the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Laura’s PhD (completed in 2023) explored the role of social learning for seeking sanctuary in Wales. Laura is also a mentor on a City of Sanctuary programme and as a newly appointed trustee for The Birth Partner Project.

In the past Laura has worked as an ESOL/EFL teacher, a learning support assistant, and a business systems manager.

Laura joined the Bevan Foundation board in 2024.