Heledd Fychan | |
|---|---|
 Fychan in 2021 | |
| Member of the Senedd forSouth Wales Central | |
| Assumed office 8 May 2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1980-09-20)20 September 1980 (age 45) Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales |
| Party | Plaid Cymru |
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin Bangor University |
| Website | www www |
Heledd Fychan (born 20 September 1980) is aWelsh politician and a former director ofpolicy and political education forPlaid Cymru. She was elected to theSenedd for theSouth Wales Central region in May 2021.
Fychan is originally fromAnglesey, and is the daughter of the lateVaughan Hughes [cy], a broadcaster, journalist and local councillor — and Angharad Anwyl.[1] Heledd attendedYsgol Gynradd y Talwrn andYsgol David Hughes and then studied History and Politics atTrinity College Dublin where she served as Education Sabbatical Officer at theTrinity College Students' Union, and later as Education Sabbatical Officer for theUnion of Students in Ireland.[2]
After completing a master's degree in Medieval History atBangor University, Fychan worked for the Plaid Cymru group inLondon.[3]
Fychan worked for 12 years at theNational 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 theMuseums Association.[1] She chaired the Ethics Committee and the Nations Committee, attending multiple international conferences.[2]
Fychan contestedMontgomeryshire in the2010 general election andNorth Wales in the2011 National Assembly for Wales election. She later unsuccessfully sought the Plaid Cymru nomination ahead of the2013 Ynys Môn by-election.[4]
In May 2017, Fychan was elected forPontypridd Town ward onRhondda 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 theMuni 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 thePontypridd constituency for the2021 Senedd election.[11] She came second in the election, behind Labour'sMick Antoniw, with 22.4% of the vote[12] but was elected to the Senedd from theSouth 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 ofpolicy 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 inEly, Cardiff and the events following the incident.[15]
Fychan currently serves on the Senedd business committee; children, young people and education committee, and theReform Bill committee. She chairs theWales International cross party group and is vice-chair of thePublic 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 reconciliation, poverty, public transport, school food, tourism, universities, and women.[15]
Fychan lives in Pontypridd with her husband and son.[1]