Wales Care Awards shortlist for Lowri
AN inspiring community worker who has been shortlisted for a national care accolade will be rounding off her honeymoon at a special awards ceremony this October.
Lowri Wynn Matulla, from Pwllheli, will be marrying her childhood sweetheart Roy Blackmore on October 12, then just one week later, the newly-weds will be travelling down to Cardiff to take part in the 2019 Wales Care Awards.
The 57-year-old (pictured), who is manager of Gwynedd and Anglesey Council’s Shared Lives Scheme – which works to place adults with learning disabilities and mental health or sensory issues within a family setting in the community – said being nominated for the award was the perfect way to celebrate her wedding.
Lowri and retired builder Roy, 62, first met as teenagers 40 years ago, but went their separate ways before eventually reuniting seven years ago.
“We are getting married in St George’s Hall in Liverpool on the Saturday and will then have four days away before travelling down to Cardiff. When I heard the news that I had been nominated I thought, wow, what a great way to finish our honeymoon!”
The Wales Care Awards are organised by Care Forum Wales to reward outstanding work in the care sector. Lowri has been nominated in the Award category for Outstanding Service, sponsored by the Silvercrest Group and will attend the glittering ceremony at the City Hall in Cardiff on October 18.
Covering Anglesey and Gwynedd, the Shared Lives Scheme currently works with over 40 service users aged 18 and above and their carers – known as enablers – to support then to live as independent and fulfilling lives as possible. Following a career in administration, Lowri joined the scheme in 2004, being promoted to Shared Lives manager in 2017.
Lowri said: “I love being able to make a difference and it’s satisfying to see so many of our service users happy and settled.”
Lowri was put forward for the Wales Care Awards by her manager Selwyn Lloyd Jones for her ‘tireless work’ to ensure that Shared Lives service users can live as fulfilling lives as possible.
Mario Kreft MBE, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, said the Wales Care Awards were now firmly established as one of the highlights in the Welsh social care calendar, adding: “If you don’t recognise the people who do the caring you will never provide the standards that people need and never recognise the value of the people who need the care in society.”