Professor Emeritus of Social Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, Professor Richard Wilkinson today stopped by Reading University en-route to his alma mater, Leighton Park School in Reading.
Professor Wilkinson co-founded The Equality Trust in 2009 which seeks to explain the benefits of a more equal society, and which also campaigns for greater income equality within society. Four years later the Trust was awarded a Silver Rose Award from renowned equality campaigning body Solidar as a result of the organisation championing the issue of equality. This year has seen further accolade in the form of the Charles Cully Memorial Medal awarded by the Irish Cancer Society.
First published in 2009, Professor Wilkinson’s best known title, “The Spirit Level” illustrated that societies with a more equal distribution of wealth benefitted from better health, and as a result there were fewer social problems and concerns with issues such as violence, drug abuse, teen births, mental illness, obesity and other co-related problems. His book also found that societies which had equal wealth distribution also had more cohesion than ones which illustrated a gap between the rich and poor. It was on this very subject matter that Professor Wilkinson delivered his lecture at Reading University before a packed lecture room of almost one hundred students and members of staff.
Before the session concluded, Professor Wilkinson invited questions from an open floor before departing for Leighton Park School. The visit by Professor Wilkinson was arranged by University Anglican Chaplain Mark Laynesmith, and further talks from visiting academics are planned to take place in the New Year.
Last modified on Monday, 13 April 2015 07:37
