A GWYNEDD councillor who has stepped down after serving her community for 40 years has been praised for being an “inspirational woman” and a “trailblazer.”
Linda Ann Jones has retired from her role as councillor for the Teigl ward, Ffestiniog, leaving big shoes to fill.
Four candidates are set to stand in the forthcoming Cyngor Gwynedd by-election to replace her, and which is being held on Thursday, April 10.
‘Linda Pengwern’ as she is known locally “shook” the foundations of the male-dominated county council back in the day when fewer women stood for election.
Admiration and thanks for her dedicated years of service have come from Cyngor Gwynedd’s first female leader, Councillor Nia Wyn Jeffreys.
“Linda was a trailblazer within Gwynedd,” she said.
“She set up one of Wales’ first social enterprises so she could offer employment to local people; she served her beloved community of Llan Ffestiniog and Manod with pride.
“She shook the foundations of a male-dominated council back in the mid-1980s. It has been a privilege to work alongside her.”
Linda’s family’s agricultural roots date back to the 1500s at Cwm Cynfal, Llan Ffestiniog, and both sets of her grandparents showed the young Linda what hard work, entrepreneurship and helping others brought to family life and her local community.
“One set of grandparents ran The Grapes Hotel at Maentwrog, while my grandfather worked at the Setts in Blaenau and my grandmother ran a clothes shop,” explained 76 -year-old Linda.
“No doubt, when my parents ran a number of businesses, including a clothes shop, the Pengwern Arms and the Black Rock Club at Morfa Bychan, their influence rubbed off on me.”
Leaving Ysgol Sir Ffestiniog, Ysgol y Moelwyn as it is today, the young Linda moved to the bustling city of Liverpool to train in hair and beauty at the city’s Academy.
At 19, she established her own hair salon back home in Blaenau and after the birth of her first child, Tracey, she established one of the first mobile hairdressing services in Blaenau to fit around family life.
With three sons following, Anthony, Cai and Ywain, family life has always been fundamentally important to Linda. Following the break-up of her first marriage, she rekindled a relationship with her childhood sweetheart, the late Dafydd Wyn Jones.
“Dafydd was the one who inspired me to really consider standing as a county councillor,” explained Linda.
“Known locally as Stan, Dafydd was a patriot, a nationalist and a man of his community.
“I guess that is the reason we clicked, but having Dafydd as a rock supporting me to achieve everything that we juggled as a family was a cornerstone.”
“My mother’s family were Liberals. One of my first recollections of politics was attending the election count at Dolgellau, when the late, Dafydd Ellis-Thomas was elected.
“I remember feeling carried away by Plaid Cymru’s excitement, elation and positivity around Dafydd’s win. That’s when I really began thinking about Plaid Cymru as a political home.
“People like Elfyn Llwyd and Dafydd together with hard working staff members in Dolgellau, who later became great friends, also gave me the support I needed to join Plaid Cymru.”
When Linda stood as a local representative in the Meirionnydd District Council in 1986, she won by three votes. It was a welcome boost to the local community, although elderly male council members at Dolgellau were “somewhat aghast” explained Linda, to see a young mum, chewing gum and wearing shell suits sitting at council meetings. But they soon accepted Linda as a force to be reckoned with.
One piece of advice remained with her during those early years: “For the first six months, listen and learn, and always, always, make sure you read your committee meetings beforehand.”
Linda abided by those rules during her 39 years and has passed on the same advice to new fellow councillors.
As she raised her children, her community input to support the local playground, help at school activities and raise funds for the community hall, showcased emerging skills. Her career developed when she began working as a community social worker at Gwynedd, and soon an offer was made to progress and specialise in physical and learning disabilities support.
“I saw that we used to carry people with physical and learning disabilities early in the morning to centres, and see them return late in the day to their homes. The support then concluded for the evening. So, I made a decision to seek funding to support individuals here in their own community. And that’s where Seren’s work began.”
Seren is one of Wales’ foremost social enterprises, established in 1996 by Linda Ann to offer professional support for people with learning disabilities in the south of Gwynedd.
Developing, with a great team behind her, it is now the area’s second biggest employer, a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. It has pushed boundaries to provide a service to people with learning and physical disabilities and their families to enhance their quality of life.
“It has been a truly worthwhile career,” explained Linda, adding, “even those difficult periods where funding came and went and when we had concerns about our future.
“That steel in me to establish commercial elements to support the overarching aim of supporting people and offering employment in the area, came from my family background.
“I was particularly proud to establish Gwesty Seren, a hotel tailored for the needs of those with learning difficulties and their families, a first in the UK.
“When handing the reins of Seren to the current staff members, a few years ago, it employed 70 people, supported 40 individuals and had an asset base of around £2 million.”
Linda said: “Life has not always been easy. We lost Ant, my eldest son, in a road traffic collision when he was 27 years of age.
Cai, 45, died after bravely battling illness in 2019, and we lost Dafydd in the same year. My own health has been problematic over the years, but through it all, two things have remained constant. The community of Ffestiniog and my work as a county councillor.
“I will certainly miss the friends and companions that have walked with me throughout my political career. But it is now time to pass on the reins to a new face. I wish Geraint Wyn Parry well in his election campaign.”
Thanking her, Plaid Cymru Leader, Nia Jeffreys concluded by saying: “Diolch Linda for all that you have achieved and for being a role model not only to myself, but to all the female councillors who now have the privilege of working, here at Gwynedd.
“As a team, we are grateful for all that you have achieved for Ffestiniog, for Gwynedd and for Plaid Cymru.”
The candidates running in the Cyngor Gwynedd, Teigl ward, Ffestiniog by-election are:
Marc Lloyd Griffiths, of Llan Ffestiniog, Annibynnol (Independent), Andrew Joyce, of Gwynedd, for the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Geraint Parry, of Blaenau Ffestiniog, for Plaid Cymru and Hedd Vaughan Thomas, of Gwynedd, for the Welsh Conservative Party.
