GWLAD FOUNDING EDITOR IS FUW JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Founding editor of the Welsh Assembly Government's bilingual Gwlad magazine Roy Hancock is the Farmers' Union of Wales Agricultural Journalist of the Year for 2008.

Roy began his journalistic career in 1963 with the Aberystwyth-based Welsh Gazette and Cambrian News weeklies. He spent 25 years with the Cambrian News including nine years as editor.

He resigned 17 years ago to start his own business but returned to journalism in 1996 as the Western Mail's West Wales reporter. In his four and a half years with the Western Mail he twice won the Journalist of the Month Award.

In November 2001 Roy became founding editor and chief writer of Gwlad which is distributed to approximately 38,000 farmers across Wales and reaches all sectors of the industry.

Roy received his award of an inscribed shepherd's crook from FUW President Gareth Vaughan in the Union's pavilion at the Royal Welsh Show (at 11.00am on Thursday, July 24).

Mr Vaughan said: "Roy is a very worthy candidate for this award. He has been covering the activities of the FUW in his various reporting roles for some 40 years which is something very few people can boast of these days.

"But that is not the only reason why Roy has been chosen to receive the traditional shepherd's crook this year. As founding editor of Gwlad he has helped develop it into a source of news and technical advice that is essential reading for anyone involved in Welsh agriculture.

"Gwlad offers practical advice relevant to every farmer across Wales. It is highly regarded in the farming industry and has a great reputation amongst those that read it or keep it to use as a reference point in the future.

"It is a source of news and technical advice that is essential reading for anyone involved in Welsh agriculture - and that must be firmly attributed to Roy's journalistic talents."

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