Andy Rowland

Andy Rowland, based in Machynlleth, has been working tirelessly for the past 30 years to protect the Welsh environment. He has dedicated his life to improving the communities for the people in mid-Wales and promoting a growing green economy.

Andy’s biggest achievement has been creating the bilingual social enterprise ‘Ecodyfi,’ a not-for-profit Development Trust delivering sustainable community regeneration. Establishedin 1998, Ecodyfi has delivered a wide range of community regeneration projects. Every one of them has had Andy at the helm, often working alone, over long hours. 

For the last 10 years Andy has provided the Secretariat at Ecodyfi for the UNESCO designated Dyfi Biosphere Reserve. He has made a major contribution to the widespread perception that Machynlleth is one of the greenest, most progressive towns in the UK.

Andy is the go-to person for getting community initiatives in Bro Ddyfi off the ground, especially if they are concerned with improving the environment. As a consequence, he has contributed to Machynlleth attracting significant inward investment, supporting industries of the future, and attracting a disproportionate amount of skilled, qualified, talented, caring young people to come and live in the area.

Fluent in English and Welsh, Andy is pioneer of promoting the understanding that when it comes to sustainability, there is no real distinction between protecting the natural heritage of Wales and its cultural heritage.