Welsh rugby great celebrated St David’s Day

One of Wales’ most celebrated rugby players, Ieuan Evans MBE, received a warm welcome at Bridgend Business Forum’s annual business breakfast in celebration of St David’s Day 2020 recently.

Over one hundred business people attended the event held at the Coed-y-Mwstwr Hotel, Coychurch, where Ieuan shared some of the most memorable moments of his extensive rugby career.

Business delegates were kept thoroughly entertained with his amusing anecdotes about some of the pivotal moments of his rugby playing career, including plenty of stories of sports people and some unforgettable characters he’s met along the way.

His determination and tough decision making were something forum member’s could take inspiration from and could also see how this translated to the challenging world of business too.

I’ve always admired Ieuan Evans, I found his talk today very inspirational. The forum’s annual St David’s Day event provided yet another important opportunity for local businesses to come together to network and celebrate success across the county borough. St David’s Day is about celebrating all that is good about Wales and the Welsh community, including entrepreneurship and business growth.

I’m delighted that we have been able to support the forum in Bridgend County Borough for the last ten years. With nearly a 1,000 forum members and more than 1,300 delegates attending business forum events annually, it is a good indication that the economy is still very much thriving in the county borough.

The forum continues to remain a positive influence in the local business community, promoting collaborative working and strong links between the public and private sector.

The council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration, Councillor Charles Smith, who introduced the guest speaker

Local businesswoman, Wendy Derrick from Leading Confidently, a leadership & management training organisation, said: “What a fantastic talk today from Ieuan Evans! He discussed leadership and the importance of being yourself. It was a brilliant morning here, at the Coed-y-Mwstwr!”

Ieuan Evans said: “Thank you very much for the kind invitation to come and celebrate St David’s Day with you all. I’m delighted to be here!

“It might be wet and miserable outside but it's been a fun morning here; lots of talk about various things and great questions from the floor! I think everybody has enjoyed!

“Events like this are so important - it’s a great opportunity for like-minded people to exchange business ideas and discuss the challenges that confront businesses in the area. It gives people the chance to share information and help one another move forward. It's all for the greater good.”

Further information on becoming a forum member, along with details of upcoming events can be found at www.bridgendbusinessforum.co.uk

You can also keep up with the latest updates by liking ‘Bridgend Business Forum’ on Facebook, or following @BridgendForum on Twitter.