mair@nantgwrtheyrn.org
Who's Who
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Huw Jones - Chair
During his varied career, Huw Jones has been a pop singer and TV presenter and producer. He co-founded Sain Record Company, Barcud and Teledu’r Tir Glas before becoming Chief Executive of S4C between 1994 and 2005. He has been a Board member of organisations including the Welsh Language Board, the Wales Employment and Skills Board, the RSPB and Cyfle and was Chair of S4C between 2011 and 2019. He is at present also Chair of Portmeirion Ltd. He lives in Llandwrog, Gwynedd. His autobiography “Dwi Isio Bod yn…” was published by Y Lolfa in 2020. Huw has been a member of the Ymddiriedolaeth Nant Gwrtheyrn board of directors since 2007 and was appointed Chairman in July 2018.
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Garffild Lloyd Lewis - Vice Chair and Secretary
Garffild has extensive experience in a number of areas including Journalism, Communications, Marketing, Training and Strategic Project Management. He was a journalist, trainer and manager with BBC Wales for 25 years before setting up his own company in the fields of strategic consultancy and training. He then joined S4C in 2009, first as Director of Communications and Marketing and then as Director of Projects and Relocation. Garffild was the Director of the project to relocate the S4C headquarters to the Egin creative centre in Carmarthen.
In 2017 after leaving S4C he joined his wife’s consultancy company, Sian Eirian Cyf – a company that specializes in the fields of the Welsh language, the Arts, the Media and Events. In 2017 he was also elected as a Councillor on Conwy County Borough Council and was a member of the Cabinet for two years – responsible for Education, Skills and Employability and the Welsh Language. He was also Chairman of the County’s Welsh Language Strategic Forum, and Leader of the Authority’s Skills Board.
He stepped down as a County Councilor in May 2022 in order to focus on the company’s work.
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Gwyn Jones - Treasurer
Gwyn is originally from the Penuwch area in Ceredigion and has lived in Aberaeron since 1987.
Before retiring in 2015 Gwyn was the Strategic Director of Corporate Resources at Ceredigion County Council with responsibility for all financial aspects of the Council’s work as well as for ICT, legal services, human resources, democracy, libraries, the museum, archivea, registration services and visitor centres.
He has extensive experience in the financial and public service fields having previously been Director of Finance for Ceredigion Council and its Chief Internal Auditor. He was Honorary Treasurer of the Welsh Books Council, and has ACCA and FCCA qualifications.
He was a member of the board of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru and is a Trustee of the James Pantyfedwen Trust and of a large number of local societies and associations in Ceredigion.
A former rugby player, his interests are now of the more leisurely kind, including bowling, cycling, walking, the theatre, opera and working on his allotment.
Elected in 2023.
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Ann Hughes
Ann, a familiar face in many magazines and TV programmes , has been a successful commercial and residential interior designer since 1992. She grew up in Llanllwni, Camarthenshire, moving to Cardiff in 1983. A serial property renovator, she has since spent spells in Pentyrch, Aberdyfi and more recently Aberaeron with husband Gareth and children Gwilym, Seren and Brennig in train. As well as interior design, recent years have seen her create Llety Bodfor (2001 – 2015), a 5 star hotel in Aberdyfi as well as SELD, a shop and online store in Aberaeron. She also designs and retails a range of Welsh homeware products .
Having previously been an active member of Meithrin, school governors and Urdd/Eisteddfod committees, she is now proud to be a member of the Ymddiriedolaeth Nant Gwrtheyrn Board.
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Jo Iwan
Jo grew up in Waunfawr near Caernarfon, learning Welsh at Ysgol Feithrin and at school, before moving to Cardiff to study and work in the media industry. She also worked in a marketing role with innovative theatre company Brith Gof and developed creative projects of her own in textiles.
She moved to London where she worked at Sky Sports and Sky Movies heading creative promo teams and as a multicam director, travelling to America to work on the Oscars and project managing a Tokyo multimedia fashion show with the DJ-led collaborative Acid Casuals.
She now lives in Cardiff with her family. After working with Granada Advertising Sales within S4C International making bilingual TV adverts she worked as a producer at Wordley Creative where she is now creative director and owner, creating TV ads and developing brand positioning for national and international brands. She has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2019.
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Martyn Croydon
Originally from Kidderminster, Martyn moved to Llŷn in 2009 after coming to the area on holiday throughout his childhood. He now lives in Llannor near Pwllheli with his family. He started learning Welsh before moving to Wales and after successfully passing the A-level Welsh second language exam and completing the PGCE qualification, he started working as a Welsh tutor in 2012. He won the Learner of the Year award in 2013 at the Denbigh National Eisteddfod. He loves teaching Welsh classes at all levels and helping other people to become Welsh speakers.
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Rhiannon Ceiri
Rhiannon was brought up until the age of 9, in the village of Llanaelhaearn, a stone’s throw from the Nant, before moving to Rhoscefnhir in Anglesey.
She specializes in art and design. After receiving a degree in Textiles (knitting and weaving) from John Moores University in Liverpool, she moved to Cardiff and settled in Grangetown with her family.
She started her career after graduating working for ‘Gad-y-Gwlân’ as a designer and manufacturer. She then worked for Theatr Brith Gôf in the costume department and then as Stage Manager.
Towards the end of the 90’s and throughout the 2000’s, she was with Ankst Management Company working with a variety of bands from Wales and beyond, giving her the opportunity to travel as part of the management team to Japan and Europe and work closely with partners in the field across the world.
She is now a freelance practitioner and has worked for a period as Art Director for a Cardiff production company.
Currently, she acts mainly as a designer with an interior design company. This allows her to enjoy opportunities to work with people from all aspects of interior design, from architects to project managers, to employees on site as well as suppliers from Wales and all corners of Europe.
Our Staff
We are one of the biggest employers in the area, employing over 20 staff members.
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Mair Saunders - Chief Executive
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Siwan Tomos - Education Manager
siwan.tomos@nantgwrtheyrn.org
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Arwel Roberts - Finance Manager
cyllid@nantgwrtheyrn.org
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Lisa Pyrs - Communications and Marketing Leader
marchnata@nantgwrtheyrn.org
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Llinos Pritchard - Accommodation and Site Leader
llety@nantgwrtheyrn.org
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Mared Grug - Senior Work Welsh Project Officer
mared@nantgwrtheyrn.org
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Shân Jones - Tutor
shan@nantgwrtheyrn.org
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Miriam Grant - Business Coordinator
miriam@nantgwrtheyrn.org
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Emma Wynne - Wedding and Events Coordinator
Education Department
Our Education Department provides intensive courses across the whole range of national Welsh-learning levels; from three-day Taster courses to five-day Entry, Foundation, Intermediate, Advanced and Proficiency level courses. We specialise in providing intensive residential courses, giving learners a comprehensive language-learning experience in one of its natural heartlands, Pen Llŷn. We’ve recently developed virtual intensive courses, too, enabling us to share our unique learning experiences with learners from all corners of the world.
We have a team of experienced tutors who have successfully introduced the language to thousands of learners, using unique teaching techniques that provide a special learning experience.
The team is also responsible for delivering ‘Using’ Work Welsh project courses on behalf of the National Centre for Learning Welsh – these are fully-funded residential / virtual courses that aim to increase the use of Welsh in workplaces across Wales and contribute to the Welsh Government’s target of having one million Welsh speakers by 2050.