National Trust Wales have announced that they have appointed Rebecca Williams, Director of CLA Cymru (the Country Land and Business Association Limited), as their new Wales Assistant Director, Conservation.
The role leads on all areas of strategy and planning relating to conservation and the environment for the Trust in Wales, including the care and maintenance of some of the country’s most beautiful historic buildings and iconic coast and countryside places.
Justin Albert, Director for Wales said:
“In our advert we asked for: a conservation trailblazer; an inspiring leader with a broad and respected knowledge of conservation, and a genuine passion for the nation and people of Wales and the mission of the National Trust.
We are delighted to have appointed Rebecca, who brings a wealth of experience to the Trust from her current role at the CLA and her previous work within Welsh Government. As a Welsh speaker, and from a Welsh farming family, Rebecca is passionate about Wales and its people, and about making the Trust more engaging and relevant to the communities we serve to become a living part of Welsh culture and daily life.
This important role leads critical areas of work essential to our wellbeing and sustainability in Wales that underpin our commitment to the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act. This includes working with our partners and farmers to deliver nature-friendly farming, our commitment to renewable energy and facing into the challenges of climate change, restoring a healthy, beautiful natural environment and looking after our collections, buildings, gardens and parklands. In a changing and challenging world, Rebecca will lead our Wales team of consultants and specialists to deliver the Trust’s twin purpose of caring for the nation’s heritage and landscapes and making them accessible, welcoming and relevant to all.”
The National Trust in Wales looks after:
- 160 miles of coastline
- 383 listed buildings
- 19 registered parks and gardens
- 14 registered historic landscapes
- 12 accredited museums.
- National Trust Wales is also the country’s largest farmer with 240 tenanted farms and 5 in-hand farms. This amounts to 46,000 hectares of land that is classed as farmland, of which 5,000 hectares are managed in-hand.
Rebecca Williams says:
“This is an exciting opportunity to work with National Trust, and to build on the work I have been doing in my current role at the CLA. National Trust is so important in Wales as a landowner, and in terms of farming and the support that it gives rural communities and I look forward to working to raising the profile of the Trust and the work that it does in Wales.”
Rebecca Williams will take up her post in January 2020.
