Making the most of community assets

Victoria Winckler - host

Dr Victoria Winckler has been the Director of the Bevan Foundation since 2002, establishing it as Wales’ most exciting and innovative think-tank. Victoria is also currently Wales adviser to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Victoria is a leading contributor to public policy in Wales. In the 1990s she developed the proposals that secured EU Objective 1 status for West Wales and the Valleys, in the early 2000s she galvanised the Welsh Government’s actions to tackle poverty and most recently generated robust proposals for new Welsh taxes which are now being taken forward by the Welsh Government.

Victoria frequently gives expert evidence to Assembly Committees, comments in online articles and speaks at a wide range of events. She is currently a member of the Ministerial Tax Advisory Group, and a board member of Traveline Cymru.

Victoria previously held roles at the Welsh Local Government Association, Mid Glamorgan County Council and Cardiff University and has served in public appointments and as a board member of several organisations.

Victoria holds a BA (Hons) in geography, MSc in Town Planning and a PhD.

Helen Cunningham

Helen joined the Bevan Foundation in March 2019 after a period at the European Commission in the department for Regional and Urban Policy.

She holds an MSc in European Governance and Public Policy from Cardiff University. Her thesis research explored the dynamic between EU cohesion policy and Welsh economic development policies and interventions in the Gwent Valleys.

Helen is currently looking at economic resilience, exploring practical solutions to address and improve some of the structural issues at play in local economies of the south Wales valleys.

Helen previously held roles in local government and the third sector, working with Public Service Boards and as an adviser at the National Assembly for Wales.