Background and Experience

Alun was born in Bangor and was brought up in the village of Moelfre, Ynys Môn. He attended Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones Amlwch, Gwynedd Technical College, Bangor and the Normal College in Bangor. Following his degree in Business Administration at the Normal College he secured his first job as the first ever Tourist Information Officer for the Isle of Anglesey Council. From there he went into the private sector where he ran a large holiday lettings agency and then became an independent financial adviser.

He has also worked in the construction industry before moving into the world of supporting people into work and self-employment – first at CTF Training Llangefni and then subsequently at Bangor University, Working Links and Communities First (Holyhead).

His first foray into social enterprises was with the Llanfairpwll Village Co-operative – which was established to try and buy the railway station in Llanfair PG from British Rail in the 1980s. Through the world-wide publicity generated by the enterprise’s exploits, interest in the site was generated and as a result Alun was the first person on Anglesey to meet Mr. James Pringle – who had seen a Breakfast TV feature on the station. Mr. Pringle eventually bought the railway site and built what is now the Pringles shop there. Despite the social enterprise not becoming the owner of the site, Alun still learned a great deal about bringing people together with a shared ideal.

Over the years Alun, through his work for Communities First (Plas Cybi and Môn CF), has helped a number of local groups to establish and to secure funding through his support. He was also a key driver behind the award-winning Holyhead Empty Shops Initiative – which helped bring life back into the town centre. He also chairs the St. Davis’s Day Parade group in Holyhead and the Holyhead Business Forum.  Alun lives in Holyhead.

Expertise

He is currently a senior manager at Môn CF and is responsible for supporting business start-ups on the island as well as helping local groups to apply for funding.

He is now spearheading a drive to bring a Land Train to the island and hopes to make this a reality by 2021.