Alun Wyn Evans of Penllyn Farm, Tywyn, has been announced as the winner of the 2017 NFU Cymru/Principality Building Society Welsh Rural Community Champion Award.
The competition, in its eight year, recognises the hard work farmers do off the farm to help their community, with the award winner receiving a top prize of a hand-crafted slate clock and £500.
Alun, who farms 190 acres at Penllyn Farm, keeps 140 ewes and 15 suckler cows. The majority of his land is a lowland unit which runs barely 50 feet above sea level.
Alun sells his lambs locally to two retail outlets in the town and manages the slaughter through a local abattoir, before selling the meat directly to the retailers.
In 2010 Alun won the Wales Nature and Farming Award for his work with the RSPB to save the Lapwing population on the farm, growing the number of pairs from two to 25 at the time of the award. Numbers have stayed strong ever since due to the partnership approach between Alun and the RSPB.
Alun is very heavily involved in community life: He is currently the Chairman of Tywyn Town Council and a past County Councillor with Gwynedd Council, he is a farming sector representative on the Local Action Group for the Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig, LEADER Group, represents Meirionnydd on the One Voice Wales National Committee, a member of the 2016 International Sheepdog Trials committee, leads on advertising in Dail Dysynni, the local Papur Bro and assists with coaching the Dolgellau Rugby U10’s as well as assisting with the Bro Dysynni Hockey Club at Tywyn.
His work with the lapwings and involving school children, who have very little knowledge of farming and the wider natural environment, is an important element in increasing their knowledge of their living environment. This knowledge transfer should be celebrated as good practice of creating a better understanding of community life.
'Extremely worthy winner'
NFU Cymru Deputy President, John Davies said: “Alun is an extremely worthy winner of this award. Participation in such a wide and varied range of roles within the community is testament to how he contributes directly to creating a sustainable future for all those that live and work in rural areas.
“His enthusiasm for farming is clear to see and he has channelled this enthusiasm into informing and educating a wide audience about what really matters to communities in rural Wales.
“Alun ticks all the boxes for this award and is a true community ambassador for the farming industry in the 21st century.”
Principality Building Society’s Regional Manager, Toni Burgoyne said: “I hope that our Welsh Community Champion Award winner will inspire others with his enthusiasm and eagerness to help people in their local community.
“He is an extremely worthy winner of this award, particularly in view of the fact that he has gone well beyond the call of duty with his community work.”
