Our patron

Sophie Howe, The First Future Generations Commissioner, in Wales and the World.

We are delighted that Sophie Howe is our patron at Daring to Dream.

Sophie was the world’s first future generations commissioner, tasked with advocating for the interests of generations to come and holding public institutions accountable for delivering long-term change.

Her support endorses Daring to Dream’s contribution to the Well-Being Goals in Wales.

Sophie Howe is an advisor to governments institutions and corporates on embedding wellbeing economics and future generations thinking. Between 2016-2023 she was the world’s only Future Generations Commissioner with a remit set out in law to be “the guardian of the interests of future generations in Wales.

Described by The Guardian as the “World’s first minister of the Unborn”, her role was to provide advice to the Government and other public bodies in Wales on delivering social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being for current and future generations and assessing and reporting on how they are delivering.

Sophie led high profile interventions around transport planning, education reform and climate change challenging the Government and others to demonstrate how they are taking account of future generations. Described by the Big Issue Magazine as one of the UK’s leading Changemakers, her interventions have secured the first Government backed pilot of a basic income in Wales fundamental changes to land use planning policy, major transport schemes and Government policy on housing – ensuring that decisions taken today are fit for the future.

She has represented Wales at the UN the OECD and on a number of International Forums including Chairing the Network of Institutions for Future Generations and has played a key role in influencing the United Nations to pass the world’s first Declaration on Future Generations

Prior to this role Sophie was the first Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales where she led programmes to tackle violent crime and violence against women and girls, focusing on prevention, early intervention and partnership working. She reformed programmes on substance misuse and offender management and led the first police programme designed to address childhood adversities.

Sophie has served as an Adviser to two Welsh First Ministers providing policy and political advice on communities, local government, equality and community safety where she led to development of Wales’s first legislation to tackle violence against women and girls.

She was an elected Councillor for 9 years, having been elected at the age of 21 she became the youngest Councillor in Wales. She wrote the 2009 report of the Councillors Commission which led to legislative reforms on increasing diversity amongst elected members. She has a background in equality and diversity having managed the Legal Department of the Equal Opportunities Commission.

She is named as one the UK’s top 100 Changemakers, at number 5 in the BBC Women’s Power List and is featured in the Change Now List of 25 Women Changing the World. She is an honorary fellow of Cardiff University, holds an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Wales and a degree in law and politics. She lives in Cardiff with her five children.