Anglesey Councillor Provides Free Guitars to Local Youngsters

An Anglesey councillor and local musician has been on a mission to help provide guitars to youngsters in the area.
Cllr Arfon Wyn  is helping to give away free electric guitars made and repaired during lockdown to each of the secondary schools on the island. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Isle of Anglesey County Councillor for Bro Aberffraw  is well known in the area as a guitarist and singer with the Welsh band Y Moniars. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He is was also the former head teacher at Ysgol Gynradd Beaumaris for almost two decades and was a former head at Ysgol Hafod Lon, a special needs school in Pwllheli. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Wyn said making and repairing the guitars during the Covid had “kept him sane,”  and he had wanted to pass them on to children in the area, to help “promote music learning.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He has been collecting and repairing broken and unwanted guitars, some having been thrown away and recycled from a council dump, and which now saves them for him should they turn up. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Wyn said  he “remembered well how guitars in my time at school, were often out of the financial reach of most pupils”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He has been working in co-operation with a luthier,  expert instrument repairer, Mark Adams of Gaerwen, who runs the Repair Studio. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Wyn said “Mark gives the final touch to each guitar, and is keen to recycle and repair instruments, mainly guitars. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“They are then  given away free to local children who need them. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I am eager for the youngsters of today to get access to professional quality instruments at school to develope their musical an creative skills.” He added. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Wyn says he has already delivered guitars to Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones,  Amlwch and Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Wyn  can be seen performing, along with a host of musicians, including Y Moniars and  Elin Fflur, during a ‘Noson Lawen’  charity music event at  the Beaumaris Canolfan, tonight, Friday April 26.
The event is in aid of the Beaumaris Mayor’s charity which supports the Seiriol  Good Turn scheme and a local Samaritans group. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​