Our Team

Resource Centre team

Rehabilitation team

Directors

Andrew Hinchliff

I came to the Society as a representative for Conwy County Borough Council in 1999 and have been a Committee member and Trustee ever since. I have been Conwy's Older People's Champion for 16 years and of course many of the Society’s clients are older. I am a gay man and represent the needs of diverse communities especially those with particular diagnoses and the problems they face. I think the healthy existence of the North Wales Society for the Blind is really important for the wellbeing of our communities and especially those who need to communicate in Welsh.

Peter Evison

Throughout my life I have been fortunate to play several sports and have always been involved with sports clubs and coaching. I have been a member of the Board of Cricket Wales and until recently coached young players at Bangor Cricket Club and in local schools and training cricket coaches in Wales.
My love of sports and commitment to the social and physical benefits of sport and exercise led me to a position on the Welsh Committee of the charity “Fields in Trust”, previously known as the “National Playing Fields Association”.
Whilst working with a sight impaired colleague I became aware of some of the difficulties of sight loss and have become committed to doing all I can to help create awareness, understanding and support for people   with sight loss.

John Roberts

Since being involved with the Society I have gained an understanding and appreciation of the wide range of help and support available for individuals who have sight loss, over the past 20 years we have seen many changes in technology and services which has enabled our members to maintain their independence and reach their goals. i am committed to continuing to develop and offer new and innovative services that our members tell us are important to them.

Mark Roberts

I have been a Director of the NWSB for over 10 years.
I have been registered blind since 1994 and am a guide dog owner, I am currently with my third dog called Forrest who is a black lab/retriever cross.
As a person that has lost his sight, it was an honour to be nominated as a Director of the Society.  I benefited immensely from their services over the years and felt that I could contribute a lot through understanding the difficulties a person that has lost their sight has.  As things have progressed with time, I am especially interested in technology for the blind. I love spending time on my computer and use the screen reader called JAWS.  This software enables me to access all the things that a normal sighted person can, it has opened so many doors for me over the years.
I spent most of my working life working for Gwynedd Council. I am now retired which enables me to spend a lot of time walking with my guide dog Forrest.  Apart from walking miles every week, I love most sports, especially football and horse racing.
As a Director, I very much look forward to how the Society develops in the future and will give my upmost support to the organisation.

Gareth Llwyd

I have been a member of the Society’s Board of Directors since I retired from my work as a Manager with the Social Services Department, Ynys Môn County Council, in 2017. I worked with the Society during the 1980s as an Audio Technician to start with and then as a Rehabilitation Officer responsible for the development of the Rehabilitation Service in partnership with the old Gwynedd County Council at the time. Then, I worked as a Social Worker in Liverpool and on Ynys Môn before gaining promotion to manage different operational services and the Social Services Department’s business functions on the Island.

I have a special interest in developing the Rehabilitation Service and other support services, developing policies and  strategic/business plans as well as the Society’s governance such as monitoring and managing performance and quality assurance for the services provided. I hope that my personal experience as a visually impaired person from an early age and my professional experience as a Social Worker will be of assistance in developing and providing a range of support services to help people with limited or loss of sight to adjust and develop skills that will enable them to live fulfilled lives, as safely and as independently as possible.

Ambassadors

It is a privilege to be an ambassador for GWRANDO.

I have wanted to voice Welsh books for years. I had a dream of being able to voice all the books in Wales! The task was too big for me alone, but since meeting GWRANDO staff at the Society, I have started realizing that dream. It is important to me that books go beyond their pages; giving the opportunity for people of all ages to have access to and enjoyment of Welsh books. I look forward to supporting GWRANDO in any way that I can.

Join the Board of Directors

We are seeking individuals willing to give some of their expertise and time to join the Board of Directors, to guide strategy, build the organisation, and actively secure resources needed to execute the organisation’s mission.

We are especially eager to recruit those with strong personal and professional networks and skills in organisation, finance, law, business or fund development.

The role of NWSB’s Directors is to:

• Provide a guiding strategy

• Work with the Chief Executive to set goals and objectives

• Oversee the organisation’s finances

• Actively secure resources needed to execute the organisation’s mission

We welcome both experienced and first-time board members.

Trustees should have a strong personal commitment to the charity’s aims and objectives. If you are interested, or if you know of someone who may be interested in applying to become a Director, please call Steven Thomas, 01248 353604.