Previous winners reflect on Wales’ highest civic honour as nominations deadline nears

Nation.Cymru Staff

With nominations for Wales’ highest civic honour set to close next month, previous winners have highlighted how national recognition helped shine a spotlight on their teams and enable them to continue their work.

Gwobr Dewi Sant: The National Award of Wales celebrates the achievements and contributions of individuals, groups and organisations across Wales, with recipients selected by the First Minister.

For previous winners, the recognition helps shine a light on work that often goes unseen, celebrate the dedication of a team, and gives organisations the confidence to continue making a difference.

Siop Griffiths, a community organisation in Penygroes, received the Community Spirit award in 2022 for its support for local people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reflecting on what the award meant, Ben Gregory, community hub manager at Siop Griffiths, said: “Recognition is really important. A lot of the stuff we do is enjoyable, but a lot of it is a slog.

“You have to put the hours and the effort in to get the results. For people to see that, and for somebody to nominate us because they think the work that we do is important, it is wonderful.”

Since winning the award, the organisation has continued to develop its work under the banner of Yr Orsaf, creating opportunities for children, young people and adults across the community.

The organisation runs a guesthouse to generate income, but relies heavily on grants to support its work and is now looking to develop a community energy project that would help ensure local resources benefit local people directly.

For Ben and the team, winning a Gwobr Dewi Sant was a meaningful acknowledgement of their efforts and the difference they make.

Ben said: “To be nominated was fantastic, and the fact that we won it, to receive that award from the First Minister, that was quite special. The fact that they are Welsh awards, that it is not an OBE or MBE, it is much better to get a Gwobr Dewi Sant.”

Celebrating innovation

For Swansea-based cancer diagnostics company CanSense, winning the Innovation, Science and Technology award in 2023 recognised the team’s ambition to improve the early detection of bowel cancer.

CanSense was founded in 2017 by CEO and co-founder Adam Bryant alongside Swansea University researchers Professor Dean Harris, Professor Peter Dunstan and Dr Cerys Jenkins.

The company has developed a blood test designed to help identify people who may have bowel cancer, potentially supporting earlier diagnosis and more targeted use of further investigations.

Adam said the award had helped strengthen confidence in the company’s work, explaining that “Winning a Gwobr Dewi Sant award stands out for us, and I think it stands out for other people too.”

“When you are recognised in that manner, people look at you and believe you are a company going in the right direction to help people, and specifically the people of Wales.”

The nomination and awards ceremony were also an important moment for the wider team.

Adam said: “Being nominated and being in that room with other nominees is amazing. Not just for us as founders, but the whole team, it is really endorsing of your work.”

The recognition came as CanSense continued its work to bring its blood test to the healthcare market. The company hopes its approach will offer an alternative route to investigation for people who might otherwise be reluctant to seek help with bowel health concerns.

Adam added: “There are people in Wales not engaging with bowel health, specifically, so we believe we can get to those people by giving them alternative methods of testing, so they feel more comfortable to come forward.”

Nominations

First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth, is encouraging people to nominate the individuals, groups and organisations whose contributions make a difference to their communities.

He said: “It is fantastic to hear about the pride that previous Gwobr Dewi Sant winners feel from their awards. Their stories are a powerful reminder of the talent, dedication and community spirit we have here in Wales, and of how important it is to recognise those who make a real difference.

“I encourage everyone to think about the remarkable individuals and organisations around them and put forward a nomination for the Gwobr Dewi Sant 2027 awards. Your nomination could help celebrate someone whose contribution deserves to be recognised and whose story could inspire others across Wales.”

To find out more about the awards, explore the categories and submit a nomination, visit the awards’ site here.