Meet the FUW’s young, bright sparks taking on agriculture in Wales

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has appointed two new County Executive Officers on Anglesey, who from the start of May will be assisting members on the island from the Llangefni office.

Speaking about the new appointments, Caryl Roberts, FUW Membership and Operations Manager, said:

“I’m very pleased to welcome Alaw and Euros to the FUW team here on Anglesey. Their enthusiasm and passion for the farming industry is undeniable.

“The strength of the FUW is in the fantastic teams we have across Wales representing our members in all counties. I know that Alaw and Euros will flourish in their new roles and continue to ensure our members voices are represented and receive the highest standard of services possible.

“We are looking forward to develop new and improved services for members with them very soon and their skills and talent are certainly a positive addition to the FUW.”

Those who have been banking with HSBC on Anglesey will recognise Alaw Jones from Llanddaniel near Gaerwen, who joined the FUW team in March this year, and brings with her a wealth of local knowledge, great understanding of agriculture and a solid grasp of finances.  

Her family have a strong connection with the island, its people and the FUW, with her grandparents having moved there from Pantglas in Caernarfon in the early 1960s.  Alaw’s grandparents and parents have always been members of the FUW, and she is now excited to be working for the organisation she has heard so much about.

“This is an ideal job for me because it combines the passion I have for customer services with my interest in farming. When I saw the opportunity of this post, I just knew I had to take it. My family have a long history with the FUW and I look forward to transferring my skills in customer service and financial understanding to helping our members here on Ynys Mon,” she said.

Alaw went to Ysgol Parc Y Bont and then Ysgol David Hughes at Menai Bridge and after completing her A levels started working for HSBC – first as a cashier and then as a Customer Experience Supervisor. For the last ten years she has been helping customers open accounts and assisted with any other banking queries they may have had.

A 3rd generation farmer, she farms beef and sheep with her parents Gwilym and Meinir, alongside her day job, on the 100 acre holding ‘Ynys Acen’ and also looks after a 30 strong flock of pedigree Charollais sheep.

When she is not assisting members, Alaw is helping out on the family farm; feeding livestock early in the morning and then catching up with jobs after work and on weekends. Her holidays are also spent on farm, mainly during lambing season and bTB testing.  

And if she is not buzzing around on the farm, Alaw enjoys making cakes, which she shows off at local shows and the Anglesey show and has done so since she was a child.  

She was also a member of Dwyran YFC for 15 years, where she held the post of treasurer for 8 years, and excelled in stock judging.

“I really enjoyed being part of my local YFC. It was a small club and I loved helping with the organisation of events, and public speaking. Skills that will certainly come in handy for helping members of the FUW in my new role.

“I have only been in this job for about 2 months and I already love it. Members have been really kind  and I enjoy helping them with their SAF and look forward to assisting them with many more things as the year goes on. Once the SAF process is completed we will be getting ready for the summer shows and our AGM and I’m very excited to meet many more of our members,” said Alaw.

The second edition to the FUW Anglesey CEO team is Euros Jones, who brings with him a wealth of knowledge when it comes to agri-environment schemes.

Born and bred on the Llyn Peninsula, he grew up in the village of Penrhos and went to school in Pwllheli, before attending Coleg Meirion Dwyfor to study for his A-levels. Euros then read Welsh at Bangor University, before completing a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Environment Management and spending just over two years working for FWAG Cymru.

Euros has a passion for farming, and even though he doesn’t come from a traditional farming background, he set up his own farming enterprise 3 years ago. Starting with just 5 sheep, he has increased the flock to about 100 by now, which he keeps on 20 acres spread across both sides of the Llyn Peninsula.

He is also no stranger to Anglesey. His grandparents farmed beef and sheep on the island, and his cousins still farms beef, sheep and pigs there.

In his spare time, when he is not looking after his flock of sheep or helping neighbouring farmers, Euros enjoys to explore his local countryside, and also contributes to Welsh culture.

In his spare time he’s a member of a young Welsh male choir, Meibion Carnguwch, and the mixed choir, Alawon Llŷn, both based in Pen Llŷn.

Speaking about his new role he said:

“I understand the challenges of a fast moving and ever changing agri-environmental policy landscape and I understand the environmental value of the land. I look forward to helping our members make the most of the agri-environment options available to them and helping farmers to achieve sustainable and profitable farming businesses through my role at the FUW.”