North Wales Fire Awards: Tywyn Station Wins 2026

Key Points

• Station of the Year Award 2026 – Tywyn and Aberdyfi fire stations
• Station of the Year 2026 is the joint title of Tywyn and Aberdyfi fire stations as part of the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service Awards.
• The prize was given out during an awards ceremony held at Venue Cymru, Llandudno on Thursday 24th September 2026.
• The Long Service and Good Conduct Medals and clasps were given out to operational staff by the Lord Lieutenant of Gwynedd, Edmund Seymour Bailey.
• Other winners at the ceremony were the Protection Team (Department of the Year); Holyhead firefighter Karina Kostrzewska (Outstanding Contribution by an Individual); and Aberdyfi Golf Club (Employers of the Year).
• Awards were given for staff and partner contributions to community safety, well-being, Welsh language promotion, charities, diversity, and ideas by staff members.

Wales Fire (Wales Times) October 02, 2026 – Tywyn Fire Station has been named North uk/fire/">Wales Fire Station of the Year, sharing the Station of the Year award with neighbouring Aberdyfi Fire Station at the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s annual awards ceremony. The accolade was conferred during an event held at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Thursday 24 September 2026, where firefighters, control staff, prevention officers and community partners were honoured for their work protecting communities across the region.

What award did Tywyn Fire Station win in 2026?

Tywyn Fire Station won the Station of the Year award at the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service Awards 2026, an honour it shared with Aberdyfi Fire Station. The award forms part of the Service’s Community Awards, which recognise members of staff and the wider community who have worked to improve community safety in North Wales.

As reported on the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service website, the Station of the Year award was one of several categories presented during the ceremony, alongside Department of the Year, Outstanding Contribution by an Individual, Commitment to Health, Fitness and Wellbeing, Employers of the Year, Commitment to the Welsh language, Aspiring Achiever, Commitment to Charity, Contribution to Diversity, Community Safety Partner Award, Chief Commendation and the Staff Suggestion Scheme.

When and where was the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service Awards Ceremony held?

The North Wales Fire and Rescue Service Awards Ceremony took place at Venue Cymru, Llandudno, on Thursday 24 September 2026. The event was headlined by the presentation of Long Service and Good Conduct Medals and 30- and 40-year clasps by the Lord Lieutenant of Gwynedd, Mr Edmund Seymour Bailey.

According to the Service’s news release posted on 25 September 2026, the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is awarded to firefighters by His Majesty’s Representative in recognition of 20 years of service, with clasps issued for 30 and 40 years of service. The ceremony also included 20-year Loyal Service awards presented by Councillor Dylan Rees, Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority.

Who received awards alongside Tywyn Fire Station?

Alongside Tywyn and Aberdyfi Fire Stations, a wide range of staff and partners were recognised at the 2026 awards. The Protection Team was named Department of the Year, while Karina Kostrzewska, a firefighter at Holyhead Fire Station, received the Outstanding Contribution by an Individual award.

Cheryl Shuttleworth, a firefighter at Corwen Fire Station, and Gary Hughes, a firefighter at Holyhead and Menai Bridge Fire Stations, won the Commitment to Health, Fitness and Wellbeing award. Aberdyfi Golf Club was named Employers of the Year, and Shoned Worsley and Chelsea Tideswell, firefighters in Control, received the Commitment to the Welsh language award.

Other recipients included Kara Ainscough (Aspiring Achiever, Rhyl Fire Station), Hannah Williams (Commitment to Charity, Control), Gemma Lee (Contribution to Diversity, Stores Supervisor), Delyth Jones and Jason Diamond of North Wales Police (Community Safety Partner Award), Katherine Prydderch-Jones (Chief Commendation, Caernarfon Fire Station), and a group recognised under the Staff Suggestion Scheme comprising Christiana Naiziris (Caernarfon), Rhys Williams (Recruitment and Availability Manager), Krzysztof Kosmala (Colwyn Bay), and Crew Managers Bedwyr Williams and Gareth Bellringer with Blue Watch Bangor.

How many staff were honoured for long service at the 2026 ceremony?

Ten members of staff received Long Service and Good Conduct 20-year medals: Adam Leatham (Head of Technical Operations), Daniel Gwynn (Station Manager, Protection), Mark Smith (Incident Command and Driving School Manager), Andrew Williams (Locality Manager, Porthmadog), Gwyn Roberts (Watch Manager, Bangor), Pam Roberts (Watch Manager, Prevention), Andy Curran (Crew Manager, Llandudno), Gavin Roberts (Crew Manager, Rhyl), Laura Williams (Firefighter, Buckley) and Lawrence Williams (Firefighter, Benllech).

Seven members of staff were honoured for 30 years of service: Jane Honey (Deputy Head of Prevention), Osian Hywel (Station Manager, Bangor), Dave Allen (Watch Manager, Johnstown), Jeff Evans (Training Delivery Watch Manager), Dai Wyn Jones (Crew Manager, Dolgellau), Sarah Rock (Firefighter, Llandudno) and Mike Plant (retired Area Manager responsible for Planning, Performance and Transformation).

Two members of staff were recognised for 40 years of service: Timothy Williams (Firefighter, Wrexham) and Sheryl Teal Bromley, whose award was posthumously presented to her family following her death earlier in the year.

What other community awards were presented at the ceremony?

In addition to Station of the Year, the Community Awards recognised contributions across several areas of the Service’s work. The Department of the Year award went to the Protection Team, while individual awards highlighted excellence in health and fitness, Welsh language use, charity involvement and diversity.

The Community Safety Partner Award was presented to Delyth Jones and Jason Diamond of North Wales Police, acknowledging collaborative work to enhance safety. The Chief Commendation was awarded to Katherine Prydderch-Jones, a firefighter at Caernarfon Fire Station, and the Staff Suggestion Scheme recognised ideas from firefighters and managers across multiple stations.

Background to the Tywyn Fire Station award development

The Station of the Year award reflects ongoing efforts by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service to recognise and strengthen community-focused work across its stations. Tywyn Fire Station, located at Pendre Enterprise Park, Tywyn, Gwynedd, operates as part of the Service’s network of stations covering urban and rural communities in North Wales. The joint award with Aberdyfi underscores collaborative working between neighbouring stations in the Gwynedd area.

The 2026 awards ceremony followed a review of award categories in response to staff feedback, aimed at strengthening how staff are recognised across the organisation. The event brought together operational firefighters, prevention and protection staff, control room personnel and community partners to celebrate long service and community safety contributions.

Prediction: how this development may affect Tywyn and local communities

The recognition of Tywyn Fire Station as Station of the Year is likely to bolster morale among crew members and reinforce community confidence in local fire and rescue provision. For residents and businesses in Tywyn and surrounding areas, the award may encourage greater engagement with fire safety initiatives, home safety checks and community education programmes delivered by the station.

For the wider North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, highlighting Tywyn and Aberdyfi’s achievements may set a benchmark for other stations, potentially influencing future resource allocation, training priorities and community partnership models. In the longer term, sustained recognition could support recruitment and retention efforts by showcasing the station’s role in protecting communities and its capacity for innovation in community safety.