Derith Powell - Director of Community Development and Lifelong Learning , Amman Valley Enterprise, South Wales, UK.

Derith Powell has a track record of Community Development work having been involved in various settings both voluntary and statutory since 1979. Most of her work has been undertaken within the voluntary/community sector in disadvantaged valley communities. Following years as a community development practitioner she became involved in community development learning and became Training Officer for Swansea Council for Voluntary Services, where she wrote and delivered a broad range of accredited and non accredited training for participants in the field.

In 1998 she joined Amman Valley Enterprise and is currently the Director for Community Development and Lifelong Learning. Since this time numerous exciting developments have taken place within the organisation, with the establishment of a new office base in Ammanford which offers increased services in community development and lifelong learning. In addition, Amman Valley Enterprise are currently developing a new Social Enterprise and are the local leaders in this field.

She was instrumental in establishing an all Wales umbrella organisation for Community Development namely C.D.C, Community Development Cymru and was chair for numerous years. She is currently an Executive and Council member and is still actively involved with the organisation. She sits on many committees too numerous to mention both at local and national level. She has written numerous training materials and articles on "Community Development and Participation" and in 2000 was co-author of a bilingual publication namely "Community Development in the South Wales valleys" published by Cardiff University Press. In January 2003 she was awarded an MBE for her services to Social Inclusion and Community Development in Wales.

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