MPowys winner of John Gittins Memorial Award
A former Regional Manager of the British Wool Marketing Board from Machynlleth, Powys, has won the 2009 John Gittins Memorial Award for his significant contribution to the Welsh sheep industry.
David Jervis Jones spent more than 50 years in the wool business including 24 years managing four of the Wool Board’s regions and 11 wool depots, five of which were located in Wales.
As Regional Manager he was responsible for maintaining quality standards and implementing new technological improvements for grading wool to ensure that only the finest product reached the market. His role also included setting standards for the handling of organic wool, as required by the Soil Association, and he was involved from the outset when the BWMB became pro-active in a training programme which aimed to ensure that a self-sufficient and skilled shearing force was available within the UK. There have been over 5000 participants in the scheme so far.
The John Gittins Memorial Award is open to candidates working or living in Wales. They may be nominated for the award by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s county advisory committees, the Welsh Mule Sheep Association, the Wales National Sheep Association, the NFU, FUW and the CLA.
Mr Jones, who is an Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies for his contribution to the sheep industry, was one of 11 nominees for the award from across Wales. He has been a member of the RWAS Sheep Shearing Committee for 25 years and a committee member of the Cymru region of the National Sheep Association. He is a noted judge of fleece and of wool ‘on the hoof’ and was described by the judges of the award as a person whose knowledge of the wool industry in Wales and beyond is unique and paralleled.