From Rydal Penrhos to the Senedd
Gareth Davies (RPS 2000-2005), an old boy of Rydal Penrhos, was recently elected to the Senedd as the representative for the Vale of Clwyd.
He is the first Welsh Conservative to hold this seat since its establishment in 1999.
Gareth attended both our prep and senior schools between 1996 and 2005. During those years, he took an active part in the life of the school: playing prop forward for the rugby team; excelling in English, IT and PE; and appearing as the Artful Dodger in a school production of Oliver Twist. Gareth says that he can still hear his lamentable attempt at a cockney accent to this day!
The community spirit and sense of togetherness fostered by Rydal Penrhos were invaluable to Gareth’s development, both as a person and a politician. It was at school that Gareth “developed a robust, strong education and the critical thinking skills that are essential to a political life.” And it was at school that Gareth learnt “that all of our actions have consequences, both good and bad, so it is important to be the best version of yourself you can possibly be.”
After his time at Rydal Penrhos, Gareth went on to study Health and Social Care. For 11 years, he found employment as a mental health support worker at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. He joined the Conservative Party in 2015 and was elected as a Town and County Councillor in 2017. He currently lives in Prestatyn with his wife and one-year-old son.
The values of hard work, critical thinking and service to the wider community are as important to Rydal Penrhos as they are to Gareth Davies. Indeed, these are the same values that we try so hard to instil in all of our students. “The child is father to the man,” as William Wordsworth wrote, and we believe that a strong education for our children will make them better people.
Speaking to the Rhyl Journal shortly after his election, Gareth said that he plans to bring “a new person, a new voice and hopefully some fresh ideas” to the Senedd. We can only hope that he continues to embody the values of Rydal Penrhos throughout his political career.
