Charity chief exec to stand down

THE chief executive of Mid and West Wales charity Tir Coed will hand over the reins in the autumn after 12 years with the organisation.

Ffion Farnell spent nine of those years as chief executive, a year as a development officer and a two further years delivering woodland activities.

Tir Coed provides land and woodland-based training and outdoor activities across the Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Powys, focusing primarily on disadvantaged individuals and groups.

In her time at the charity, around 8,000 people have been supported, many of whom have progressed into work, education or training.

During her leadership, the organisation has gone from strength to strength, successfully delivering a wide range of educational, training and community wellbeing projects across the four counties and increasing turnover from £207,305 in 2012 to around £600,000 this year.

The staff team has also grown from four to 30 roles.

She has worked tirelessly to lead, shape, streamline and promote the organisation and has established innovative working partnerships with major land managers in the Elan Links project, with the Royal Forestry Society in establishing Dysgu am Natur, and with grassroots regeneration organisations around Wales as part of the Llechi Glo a Chefn Gwlad project, to name but a few.

Ffion’s love and knowledge of rural Wales has kept Tir Coed developments reactive to the local communities it exists to serve, gaining a reputation as a charity that is inclusive, forward -thinking and fully engaged with the local community.

Chair of trustees Adrian Wells said: “Since taking up the role of chief executive in 2013, Ffion has made a stellar contribution to Tir Coed, growing the organisation from a local statutory supported partnership to a fully-fledged regional charity with a massive impact on local places and the lives of local people.”

Over the coming months, Ffion will continue to work part-time while handing over responsibility to the senior management team.

She will also be leading the search for a talented, experienced and passionate new chief executive.