Danybryn Welcomes New Staff

Stuart Davies – Service Manager I am in my tenth year working for LCD. I began as a Support Worker in Llanelli Supported Living. Over the years I worked myself up to Senior Support Work Team Leader and then to Service Manager managing 2 Supported Living Services.Now being at Danybryn has given me a fresh challenge and I’m looking forward to a bright and positive future for all.

Helen Leigh – Operations Manager

Helen who is at present acting as Interim Director at Danybryn, joined Leonard Cheshire Disability in 2013. She is a qualified nurse and has been involved for many years working as a volunteer for Scope and the National Autistic Society. As she has a brother who has Autism, she is very aware of people with special needs. Helen is a Trustee for Independent Living in Pontypridd and a Governor for a Special School in the Rhondda Valley. Helen has been married to Martin for twenty four years and they have two sons – Dafydd and Ieuan.

Shelly Bryant – Activities Organiser

“ I joined DYB nearly four years ago as a Catering Assistant (Bank staff) whilst studying for my BA (Hons) in Art Practice. This course enabled me to gain valuable experience in conducting workshops with people of various backgrounds and disabilities. In November 2013 I was given the opportunity of joining the activity department and becoming DYB’s Activities Organiser”.

……and says “Goodbye” to Jean who is retiring….. “Jean joined Leonard Cheshire in October 2003 as Secretary in he Admin department. During her ten years with Danybryn, she also provided administration support for our regional office and for the last four years has been based on reception. She always had a welcoming smile for visitors and would go that extra mile to help. She was well liked by service users and staff alike and was a valued member of our team. Once she announced her retirement, gifts and cards came flooding in – a testament to how popular she was. She

will be greatly missed but we wish her well for the future”

Stars of the BBC TV series Casualty visited our Danybryn service today, to film scenes

for an episode that will air next year.

Jane Hazlegrove, who plays Kathleen Dixon, was joined by Casualty newcomer Lee Mead, who found fame on talent casting show ‘Any Dream Will Do’.The actors were filming a hospice scene for the drama series, and used the service in South Wales for the scenes. They took time between shots to chat with the residents.

Derek Bateman, volunteer coordinator, said: ‘The actors were very friendly and spent a lot of time chatting to everyone. They were very interested in resident Martin Williams, who is planning to climb Ben Nevis next year.

‘We chatted a lot to Lee Mead, and we are hoping that he will donate some tickets to one of his future stage shows so we can auction them off to raise money for the service.’

Lee Mead tweeted from the service during the filming, to say that the residents and carers at Danybryn are amazing.