Wales’ Bevan Foundation wins prestigious global Think Tank award
The Bevan Foundation has been announced as the winner of a prestigious global think tank award.
Influential Welsh think tank has been awarded Prospect’s Think Tank of the Year ‘One to Watch’ Award 2021 for its work on devolution.
The annual awards, which celebrate experts doing cutting-edge research all over the world, are run by Prospect, a publication for those with a keen interest in politics, history, economics, philosophy, science, literature and the arts.
Announcing the win on 8th February, Prospect Editor Alan Rusbridger, who used to edit The Guardian, said the award went to “a think tank whose work promises to yield exciting results”, and that the judges had praised the Bevan Foundation’s work for “filling gaps in our knowledge about the impact of devolution”.
Dr Victoria Winckler, Director of the Bevan Foundation said “This is an incredible recognition of our innovative work on poverty and inequality, and particularly our success influencing Welsh Benefits policy.
“We were up against some excellent think tanks from around the world, so to win is a genuine honour.”
Speaking in a video ahead of the awards, which are now in their 20th year, Prospect Contributing Editor Tom Clark, explained how the categories have evolved to focus on the ‘multitude of virtues’ and dimensions of think tanks.
Awarding the ‘One to Watch’ meant considering ‘Who’s got the sparky new ideas, is just a bit different?’, as well as demonstrating rigour of analysis, innovative solutions, and policy traction.
‘Devolution’
Speaking about the devolution work which led to the award, Dr Steffan Evans, Head of Policy (Poverty) at the Bevan Foundation said: “We are delighted that the Welsh Government have already published a best practice tool-kit on how to simplify the application process for local authority benefits.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the Welsh Government, local authorities and partners over the next few months to develop this further”.
The diversity of the Prospect Awards entrants was mirrored in the prestigious judging panel, which included journalists and academics as well as people who have been at the forefront of public policy, such as Simon Stevens, recently departed Chief Executive of the NHS, Cathy Ashton, former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Michel Barnier, former European Commission Head of Task Force for Relations with the UK.
“This award is a testament to our commitment to researching and advocating for new solutions to poverty and inequality in Wales, which despite a challenging couple of years has not wavered.” said Victoria.
“We are very grateful to Prospect magazine for organising these awards and to the sponsors Cast from Clay. We’re also grateful to the many individuals, organisations and Trusts and Foundations whose support enables us to have the impact we do.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
There are global awards for think tanks? Sheesh!
A well deserved reward for a well named organsation.
Let’s put Wastemonster on notice: “We are still having new ideas – even if your’s have run out”.
I truly worry about these things. The Bevan Foundation exists because poverty exists.
I just wonder whether there’s something fundamentally wrong (perhaps bonkers would be a better word) that an organisation who’s very existence requires our nation to be poor and unequal ends up winning an award.
The whole ethos of the Bevan Foundation is to eliminate or at least lesson poverty. Communities would be much worse off without them. Unfortunately this type of policy advice is getting more important in particular since the 2008 banking crisis, Brexit and Covid – all under the leadership of a right wing Tory government who are of the super rich looking after the super rich. Diolch o galon a llongyfarchiadau Sefydliad Bevan very well deserved
This is the kind of nonsense that needs to faced head on. “Communities would be much worse off without them.” Really? How so? .
Is the Bevan Foundation creating jobs? Or advising on how to create a wealthy economy and worthwhile employment?
And you simply have to have a childish swipe at the Tory government. You seem blissfully unaware that powers to really address poverty -education and economic development are in the hands of the labour controlled Senedd.