Congratulations to our General Manager, Paul Lewin, who has been nominated for the ‘outstanding individuals’ category of the 2023 National Lottery Awards.
The National Lottery Awards are an annual celebration of individuals and organisations who have accomplished extraordinary things with the assistance of National Lottery funding.
Paul has been shortlisted in the Heritage category in the outstanding individual’s section of this year’s awards for his numerous years of dedicated service, leading our much loved heritage railway.
This year, there were an astonishing 3,780 people and projects nominated for the various awards, in recognition of their efforts to improve their community. A panel went through the thousands of nominations and Paul is now one of only five individuals across the UK shortlisted in the Heritage category.
Over the years, Paul has played a key role in overseeing how millions of pounds of National Lottery funding has been invested, in order to ensure that the railway continues to attract visitors, provide the local community with opportunities and maintaining a financially stable future for the company.
In 2021, Paul was joined by staff, volunteers and supporters as he announced that the FFWHR had been successful in its application for a £3.1million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), with an additional £900,000 of matched funding for this three-and-a-half-year project, provided by supporters.
This was a momentous occasion for our railway and was the culmination of years of hard work by our staff and volunteers, developing this outstanding application.
Since that announcement, the project has been progressing rapidly with significant restoration and conservation work taking place at Boston Lodge along with an extensive program for interpretation.
The project is also providing further work and training opportunities for the local community and will ultimately provide a significant boost to the Northwest Wales economy, bringing thousands of additional visitors to the area every year.
In response to his nomination, Paul said:
“This has been a lifelong passion of mine and I feel very honoured to work in an industry which I love. To be nominated as a finalist in the Awards is truly humbling, especially when you consider the thousands of nominations they received from across the UK. It’s nice to feel that people recognise your efforts.
Whether it’s the restoration and conservation of buildings, engines and carriages; work, training, and volunteering opportunities for the community; or massive capital projects to reopen old, abandoned railway lines and connect communities – The National Lottery has been part of the very fabric of everything we have done here for decades, and we wouldn’t have been able to deliver half of what we have without its support.”
The National Lottery Awards’ winners will be revealed in the Autumn, receiving a £5,000 cash prize for their organisation and a coveted National Lottery Awards trophy.
Everyone here at the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways would like to congratulate Paul and wish him the very best of luck!
Llongyfarchiadau i ein Rheolwr Cyffredinol, Paul Lewin, sydd wedi cael ei enwebu ar gyfer yr categori ‘unigolyn rhagorol’ Gwobrau’r Loteri Genedlaethol 2023.
Mae’r Gwobrau’r Loteri Genedlaethol yn ddathliad blynyddol o unigolion a sefydliadau sydd wedi cyflawni pethau rhyfeddol gyda chymorth arian y Loteri Genedlaethol.
Mae Paul wedi cael ei gynnwys yn y categori Treftadaeth yn adran yr ‘unigolyn rhagorol’ yn y gwobrau eleni am ei flynyddoedd lawer o wasanaeth ymroddedig, yn arwain ein rheilffordd dreftadaeth boblogaidd.
Blwyddyn yma, roedd yna swm anhygoel o 3,780 o bobl ac prosiectau wedi ei enwebu ar gyfer y gwobrau amrywiol, i gydnabod eu hymdrechion i wella eu cymuned. Aeth panel drwy’r miloedd o enwebiadau ac mae Paul bellach yn un o ddim ond pum unigolyn ar drwas y DU sydd ar y rhestr fer yn y categori Treftadaeth.
Dros y blynyddoedd, mae Paul wedi chwarae rhan allweddol yn y gwaith o oruchwylio sut mae miliynau o bunnoedd o arian y Loteri Genedlaethol wedi’i fuddosddi, er mwyn sicrhau bod y rheilffordd yn parhau i ddenu ymwelwyr, darparu cyfleoedd i’r gymuned leol a chynnal dyfodol ariannol sefydlog y cwmni.
Yn 2021, ymunodd staff, gwirfoddolwyr a chefnogwyr â Paul wrth iddo gyhoeddi bod RhFfE wedi bod yn llwyddiannus yn ei gais am grant o £3.1 miliwn gan Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol, gyda £900,000 ychwanegol o arian cyfatebol ar gyfer y prosiect tair blynedd a hanner hwn, a ddarparwyd gan gefnogwyr.
Roedd hwn yn achlysur tyngedfennol i’n rheilffordd ac yn benllanw blynyddoedd o waith caled gan ein staff a’n gwirfoddolwyr yn datblygu’r cais rhagorol hwn.
Ers y cyhoeddiad hwnnw, mae’r prosiect wedi bod yn datblygu yn gyflym gyda gwaith adfer a chadwraeth sylweddol yn digwydd yn Boston Lodge ynghyd â rhaglen helaeth ar gyfer dehongli.
Mae’r prosiect hefyd yn darparu cyfleoedd gwaith a hyfforddiant pellach i’r gymuned leol ac yn y pen draw bydd yn rhoi hwb sylweddol i economi Gogledd Orllewin Cymru, gan ddod â miloedd o ymwelwyr ychwanegol i’r ardal bob blwyddyn.
Mewn ymateb i’w enwebiad, dywedodd Paul:
“Mae hwn wedi bod yn angerdd gydol oes i mi ac mae’n fraint cael gweithio mewn diwydiant yr wyf yn ei garu. Mae cael eich enwebu yn rownd derfynol y Gwobrau yn wirioneddol ostyngedig, yn enwedig o ystyried y miloedd o enwebiadau a gawsant o bob rhan o’r DU. Mae’n braf teimlo bod pobl yn cydnabod eich ymdrechion.
Boed yn adfer a chadwraeth adeiladau, injans a cherbydau; cyfleoedd gwaith, hyfforddiant a gwirfoddoli i’r gymuned; neu brosiectau cyfalaf enfawr i ailagor hen reilffyrdd segur a chysylltu cymunedau – mae’r Loteri Genedlaethol wedi bod yn rhan sylweddol o bopeth rydym wedi’i wneud yma ers degawdau, ac ni fyddem wedi gallu cyflawni hanner yr hyn sydd gennym heb ei chefnogaeth.”
Bydd enillwyr Gwobrau’r Loteri Genedlaethol yn cael eu datgelu yn yr Hydref, gan dderbyn gwobr ariannol o £5,000 i’w sefydliad a thlws mawreddog Gwobrau’r Loteri Genedlaethol.
Hoffai pawb yma yn Rheilffyrdd Ffestiniog ac Eryri longyfarch Paul a dymuno pob lwc iddo!
