A GLAN-YR-AFON graduate has spoken about being one of the team of track and trace staff in Gwynedd.

Twelve months ago, hardly anyone would have envisaged that local councils would need comprehensive teams of staff to carry out contact tracing work.

But 2020 is a year like no other and by now, there are over 100 staff working in the Test, Trace and Protect (TTP) Service in Gwynedd.

The staff work to trace the contacts of people who have tested positive for Coronavirus. The tracers work to identify locations where individuals visited before they tested positive to try and limit the spread of infection and protect Gwynedd's communities.

When the TTP Service was first established, a number of team members temporarily relocated from other services within the Council, with a number still remaining as part of the contact tracing work.

But more recently, new staff members have joined the team over recent months.

Among them is Bedwyn Lloyd Phillips who lives in Glan-yr-afon, between Corwen and Bala. Having graduated in music, he had limited job opportunities as an orchestra conductor during the pandemic, so he decided to apply for a job with the Test, Trace and Protect Service in Gwynedd.

Bedwyn said: “The work is brilliant, and I enjoy being able to talk and help people in my work. I never thought I would enjoy it so much, but I hope that I’ll be able to continue working for the Council for some time.

“The experience has been positive and it's really nice to know that I'm working for the community. We don't know when Covid-19 might strike, so I hope that knowing that a team of Gwynedd people is helping the local effort is a comfort to people. ”

Whilst Bedwyn hasn’t been able to share an office with his work colleagues since he started, he says that there is a great sense of team with his Test, Trace and Protect co-workers. Having begun as a contact tracer, Bedwyn recently secured a post as a Business Supervisor with the Gwynedd Test, Trace and Protect team.

“To think that I've never met any of the team in the flesh, the collaboration is amazing - and I'm so grateful for the training I've received and the guidance from my managers.

“We come from different backgrounds - an orchestra conductor like myself, staff who used to work in libraries and different services across the Council - but it feels like we’ve been working together for years.

“I look forward to work every day, and not everyone can say that.”

Councillor Gareth Griffith, Gwynedd Council Cabinet Member for Environment said he was grateful to all the staff who work in the Test, Trace and Protect Service here in Gwynedd for their vital role in keeping our communities safe.

He said: “I would encourage members of the public to follow the advice that the TTP staff provide to keep themselves, their families and communities safe.

“To anyone with Coronavirus symptoms, stay home until you have a test. By self-isolating, you will help control the spread of the virus and keep friends, the wider community, and especially the most vulnerable in our communities safe.”

If you have Coronavirus symptoms, you should self-isolate immediately and get a test straight away. Details about getting a test are available here https://bcuhb.nhs.wales/covid-19/book-a-covid-19-test/