Announcement: 26th September 2022
Last week we said goodbye to our colleague and friend, Elizabeth Cox. Liz lost her battle against cancer earlier this month and her funeral last week brought colleagues together to remember her and share stories of the impact she had on many of us. This has been a huge loss for all of us who knew her and worked with her.
Liz was a constant at NEF and dedicated nearly 20 years to our cause. She was unwavering in her commitment to our mission to transform the economy so it works for people and planet. She was passionate about her work and tireless in her determination to deliver change that would have an impact.
We will miss Liz – her no-nonsense approach to life, her boundless energy and her wicked sense of humour. But I hope she will rest in peace knowing that she has left her mark in the world and a legacy at NEF that will live on for years to come.
For now, our thoughts and condolences are with her husband and family. If you would like to show your support for the Cox family then please make a donation to Marie Curie – this is at Liz’s request in lieu of flowers. Please also feel free to share your messages of support for the family, and we will pass them on. We are sure they will find strength in your kind words and in knowing how many people Liz impacted with her work.
Her work at NEF
Elizabeth Cox led NEF Consulting, overseeing the development of the consultancy role within the New Economics Foundation and collaborations with other organisations. Elizabeth was an experienced economist who led the New Economics Foundation’s UK and international research on localities and local economies over 13 years. Her work ranged from conducting policy reviews, research design, and working with organisations to develop strategic theories of change, to developing and supporting the implementation of practical approaches to drive change. These included Community Wealth Building to develop local economies, co-designing outcomes-based commissioning approaches for local authorities to increase the social value created, and developing impact frameworks for social impact investors and social businesses.
Elizabeth was a specialist in developing co-designed approaches, with extensive experience of managing large and complex projects. Prior to working at the New Economics Foundation, Elizabeth was a research Fellow at Aberdeen University, and a policy advisor in the Ministry of Agriculture, Guyana.
PROJECTS INCLUDED:
- Developing and implementing a robust methodology to assess policy priorities for the Commissioner of Future Generations, Wales.
- Applying Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) to support the selection of alternative transport investments for the Commissioner of Future Generations, Wales.
- Working with local authorities to develop practical responses to climate change emergencies which promote local economic development.
- Socio-economic baseline report for meanwhile use of a major regeneration site in LB Enfield.
- Developing a strategic evidenced-based Theory of Change with Disney (EMEA) and partner organisations to improve the emotional resilience of children with life threatening or life limiting conditions.
- Co-design and delivery of an evaluation of a service for domestic abuse survivors designed to engage survivors who have disengaged with other support provision.
- Developing a behaviour change impact framework for the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew’s Grow Wild Programme, and implementing a multi-year evaluation.
- Working with a consortium of partners on a multi-year programme to provide evaluation, learning and support services to the 59 grant holders of its Help Through Crisis programme.
