Vivienne Sugar is Joseph Rowntree Foundation's new adviser in Wales
Vivienne Sugar, formerly the Chief Executive of the City and County of Swansea, has been appointed Welsh Adviser to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). She succeeds the broadcaster Glyn Mathias, a former Political Editor of ITN and BBC Wales.
Vivienne's role will be to keep the JRF up to date with policy development in Wales and extend its networks within the country. She will also be helping to identify opportunities for new research and policy development activities in Wales focusing on the issues of social disadvantage ('poverty') and housing and neighbourhoods ('place').
She is currently Chair of the Welsh Consumer Council and Vice President of Swansea University. Before becoming Swansea's Chief Executive, Vivienne was Director of Housing in Newport and in Cardiff. Between 2002 and 2004 she served on the Richards Commission, which examined the powers and electoral arrangements of the National Assembly for Wales.
Lord Richard Best, Director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: "We are delighted that Viv Sugar, with her impressive track record in local government, consumer affairs and social housing, will be advising us on our research and policy development work in Wales. With her help, we hope to extend our activities in Wales and contribute more to Welsh policy making on poverty, housing, neighbourhood renewal and other significant social issues."
Vivienne Sugar, JRF Adviser, Wales, said: "As a long-time admirer of the work of the Foundation, I am delighted now to be able to develop its role here in Wales. We are a nation with worse housing and poorer, more disadvantaged people than many parts of the UK, and indeed most of Europe. The Foundation's work can help promote understanding and find answers."
Last year the JRF published research revealing the high incidence of poverty among homeowners in Wales and is currently involved in a major project to determine the extent of poverty and social exclusion in Wales. The Foundation hosted a presentation on 'poverty' and 'place' at the Wales Millennium Centre in February with Edwina Hart, Minister for Social Justice and Regeneration, and Professor Bruce Katz, Vice President of the Brookings Institution in Washington DC and a leading American authority on regeneration.
For further information, please contact:
Sue Everard (JRF Press Office): 01904 615958
