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Mencap Cymru Director Appointed Chair of the National Trust’s Advisory Board for Wales

Penodi Cyfarwyddwr Mencap Cymru yn Gadeirydd ar Fwrdd Cynghori Cymru’r Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol

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Wayne Crocker, Director of Mencap Cymru, has been appointed as Chair of the Wales Advisory Board of the National Trust.

Wayne took over the reins from former Chair Linda Tomos on 5 April after the completion of her three-year term.

Wayne has been Director of Mencap Cymru since 2010 and is a member of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Learning Disability, the All Wales Learning Disability Improving Health Outcomes Group, chaired the Looked After Children (parents with a learning disability) group and sits as a magistrate on the Gwent bench.

Wayne’s appointment will help deepen the National Trust’s efforts in Wales to embed social inclusion in its long-term strategy. The ‘Everyone Welcome’ programme is a key aspect of its commitment to continue an organisation-wide ambition to become more inclusive and welcoming to everyone.

He said of his appointment:

My love of the National Trust is not for the grand houses or ornate dining rooms, but more rooted in the original vision of (founder) Octavia Hill; in creating and preserving an oasis of calm and beauty for people not able to access those in their daily lives. I love the idea that people who are the most disadvantaged and who expect nothing from society can own amazing places like Barafundle Bay, Bodnant Garden or Tredegar House.

I grew up in a home where we did not go away on family holidays and with no access to a vehicle; our family time was limited to day trips to Ynys Angharad Park in Pontypridd or Barry Island by bus or by train. I want to help the National Trust in Wales embrace its mission of ‘for everyone’ by making sure our incredible places become more familiar to all people. In these unprecedented times of social isolation, we become only too aware of how limited our lives become when we are not able to enjoy beautiful spaces together.

 Wayne’s link with the National Trust started in 2013 when he became involved with a Mencap Cymru project at Dinefwr House in Carmarthenshire. He became a vocal supporter of the project, bringing Royal Mencap Society’s chair of trustees on visits to Dinefwr and promoting the project on the BBC and Mencap’s own social media platforms.

Welcoming his appointment, National Trust Director for Wales Justin Albert said:

We are delighted to have appointed Wayne to lead our Advisory Board. His appointment brings a wealth of experience from the learning disability and social justice sectors to the National Trust in Wales.

I want also to pay tribute to his predecessor, Linda Tomos, who has played an outstanding role during her term – a period which has seen great progress in National Trust Wales. Linda has set a very high benchmark in the role, but I’m confident that the skills and presence Wayne will bring to the post will ensure a continuation of the great success and impact we’ve had in Welsh life in recent years.

The role of the Wales Advisory Board is to advise on how the National Trust’s strategy is implemented in a politically devolved Wales context; to offer constructive support and challenge to the Director and the Wales team in the delivery of its business plans; to contribute to debates on major issues affecting the future success of Wales and delivery of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act; and to bring knowledge of Wales, its people and their needs to the Trust.

Business News Wales