Heledd Fychan (born 20 September 1980) is a Welsh politician and a former director of policy and political education for Plaid Cymru. She was elected to the Senedd for the South Wales Central region in May 2021.
Heledd Fychan | |
|---|---|
 Fychan in 2021 | |
| Member of the Senedd for South Wales Central | |
| Assumed office 8 May 2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 September 1980 Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales |
| Political party | Plaid Cymru |
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin Bangor University |
| Website | https://www.heleddfychan.wales (English) https://www.heleddfychan.cymru (Welsh) |
Early life and education
editFychan is originally from Anglesey, and is the daughter of the late Vaughan Hughes, a broadcaster, journalist and local councillor — and Angharad Anwyl.[1] Heledd attended Ysgol Gynradd y Talwrn and Ysgol David Hughes and then studied History and Politics at Trinity College Dublin where she served as Education Sabbatical Officer at the Trinity College Students' Union, and later as Education Sabbatical Officer for the Union of Students in Ireland.[2]
After completing a Masters in Medieval History at Bangor University, Fychan worked for the Plaid Cymru group in London.[3]
Career
editFychan worked for 12 years at the National Museum Wales, serving as Head of Policy and Public Affairs, and was also a lead for governance, strategy, internal communications, international relations and stakeholder engagement.[2]
In 2009, Fychan was elected to the board of the Museums Association.[1] She chaired the Ethics Committee and the Committee, attending multiple international conferences.[2]
Political career
editFychan contested Montgomeryshire in the 2010 general election and North Wales in the 2011 National Assembly for Wales election. She later unsuccessfully sought the Plaid Cymru nomination ahead of the 2013 Ynys Môn by-election.[4]
In May 2017, Fychan was elected for Pontypridd Town ward on Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council and also Pontypridd Town Council.[5]
As a local councillor, Fychan was a vocal community activist. In 2017 she successfully campaigned to reopen Mill Street Post Office[6][7] and in 2018 she campaigned to save the Muni Arts Centre in Pontypridd, of which she was a volunteer trustee.[8] In 2020 she dealt with[clarification needed] severe flooding in Pontypridd[9] and led calls for an independent inquiry.[10]
Fychan was selected in May 2020 to be the Plaid Cymru candidate for the Pontypridd constituency for the 2021 Senedd election.[11] She came second in the election, behind Labour's Mick Antoniw, with 22.4% of the vote[12] but was elected to the Senedd from the South Wales Central regional list.[3]
Following the election Fychan became Plaid Cymru's spokesperson on culture, sport and international affairs.[13]
Fychan is the current Plaid Cymru director of policy and political education.[14]
As MS for South Wales Central, Heledd Fychan called for a full investigation into the deaths of two boys after a police chase in Ely, Cardiff and the events following the incident.[15]
Fychan currently serves on the Senedd business committee; children, young people and education committee, and the Reform Bill committee. She chairs the Wales International cross party group and is vice-chair of the Public and Commercial Services Union group. She is further a member of the following cross-party groups: academic staff in universities, arts and health, autism, children and families, children in our care, clean air, friends of Ukraine, lung health, music, peace and reconcilliation, poverty, public tranpsort, school food, tourism, universities, and women.[15]
Personal life
editMs Fychan lives in Pontypridd with her husband and son.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Mosalski, Ruth (7 May 2021). "Senedd election 2021 result for South Wales Central region". WalesOnline. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b c "Heledd Fychan MS". senedd.wales. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b Mosalski, Ruth (7 May 2021). "Senedd election 2021 result for South Wales Central region". Wales Online. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- ^ "Anglesey: BBC presenter Rhun ap Iorwerth seeks Plaid nomination". BBC. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Cllr. FychanYCHAN Heledd". Rhondda Cynon Taf. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
- ^ "Mill Street Post Office Closure". Plaid Cymru Pontypridd. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ "Post Office – Success". Plaid Cymru Pontypridd. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ Thomas, Huw (21 January 2019). "Council 'could rescue shut arts centre'". BBC News Online. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
- ^ "Pontypridd after the flood". Ciwem. June 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- ^ Lewis, Anthony (28 July 2020). "Calls for an independent inquiry into the flooding in RCT". WalesOnline. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- ^ "2021 Campaign Launch". The Party of Pontypridd. 23 May 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ Gupwell, Katie-Ann; Burkitt, Sian (7 May 2021). "The full Senedd election 2021 result for Pontypridd as Mick Antoniw holds seat for Labour". WalesOnline. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- ^ "Welsh election: New Plaid Cymru Senedd members get frontbench roles". BBC News. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- ^ Fychan, Heledd (4 May 2013). "Anglesey can become proud of itself again". IWA. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Police condemn 'totally unacceptable' violence in riots after fatal crash". The Independent. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.