June 2025
Our President, Cerys Matthews
“There’s something in the air in Wales. It’s in the rustle of leaves, the beauty of the blossom, the wind that sings through valleys carved by time. I often say that the Welsh countryside raised me—it shaped my thinking, my passion and my music. It taught me the value of wonder, of belonging and the outright miracle of the natural world.
I feel honoured to serve as President of CPRW, a charity that lives and breathes its love for this land. It was a joy to be part of our St David’s Day campaign earlier this year—a celebration of our patron saint and the enduring beauty and spirit of rural Wales. The response from members and communities across the country reminded me once again that there is deep pride for our landscape, and that our care for it could guide every decision we make for our future.
Like many of you, I’ve been watching with growing concern the onrush of large-scale wind farms, solar arrays, and looming pylon developments sweeping across our country. We all understand the importance of moving toward a more sustainable future. The Climate Crisis demands it, and we must respond. But how we go about this really matters. We cannot afford to lose the very landscapes that inspire us, feed us, ground us—and define us.
Yes, to renewables. But yes, too to solutions that work with nature, not against it. Energy plans must be designed not just with spreadsheets and short-term business plans, but with long term forethought. We must ask: what kind of future are we building, and what will be left of our wild places if we don’t proceed with care?
I’m deeply grateful for the work CPRW is doing to raise these questions and offer reasoned responses. I’m especially moved by the strength and courage of our members across Wales—individuals and communities who are standing firm against quick-fix solutions, giving voice to their valleys, their hilltops, their hedgerows. You are not alone. Your voices matter.
This charity is close to my heart because it speaks up for the land and the natural world it supports—the very worlds that give so many of us a sense of self and belonging. I see CPRW not as an organisation of resistance, but of reverence—of stewardship, of storytelling, of guardianship for generations to come.
As you turn the pages of this magazine, I hope you feel the same love I do—for our countryside, our communities, and our shared future. Thank you for being part of this journey.
With warmest wishes,
Cerys Matthews
President, CPRW”
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