Nev Evans
Qualifications
- BA Honours (1st Class) – University of Wales
- Master of Arts – John Moores University Liverpool
Background and Experience
A retired local government officer and Anglesey man – born and bred Bryngwran – who worked at the corporate centre in Anglesey County Council. Prior to that, he worked for both Gwynedd and Conwy County Council as a Researcher and Policy and Performance Officer. A late developer, he left school at 15 with no formal qualifications and became a plumber. He went back into education through Coleg Harlech in the 1980s and then graduated from Bangor University. He now chairs Bryngwran Cymunedol Ltd, the not for profit social enterprise that saved and now run the Iorwerth Arms as a community run pub. At a local level he has been a community councillor, clerk to the community council and school governor for both the primary and secondary schools locally. In addition to saving the Iorwerth Arms from closure and demolition in 2015, he has chaired a Board of Directors (unpaid) who have turned the pub’s fortunes around in a short period of time winning a number of prestige awards (2019 Welsh and British Rural Pub winner, Countryside Alliance Awards, as well as being a Wales Business Start Up Finalist in 2016). This has meant co-ordinating a committee of dedicated Directors and attracting over £100k grant aid to renew and renovate the pub. The latest project is renovation of the pub’s outbuildings into 3 business units in order to complement income as well as provide services and create jobs locally.
Expertise
Nev’s expertise and area of interest is in community led and not for profit enterprises. Leading on Anglesey’s first ever Community run pub, the development of the Iorwerth Arms from a failing and neglected village pub into a successful enterprise, stands him in good stead in this regard. There were many lessons learnt along the way that would help potential community led groups thinking of undertaking a village/community venture or enterprise. He is also an advocate for the Welsh language and culture, who believes that community led enterprises will help keep young people in their communities and thereby also help safeguard and promote the language.