ONE of the youngest care home owners in Wales has won a top award thanks to her work at a home in Llangollen.

Bethan Mascarenhas, now 33, was chosen by the Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers to receive its City and Guilds Livery Company Prize for 2023 for her outstanding commitment.

The honour came hot on the heels of what Bethan described as a ‘baptism of fire’ after she took on the Old Vicarage Care Home at Llangollen with her brother Richard just a few months before the Covid pandemic struck.

She had to dig deep to find the steely resilience and determination needed to lead her team through the crisis when she was only in her late twenties.

She says that was thanks to the unstinting support she received from her partner, her parents, her care team at the Old Vicarage and her tutors at Pendine Academy of Social Care, which is the training arm of the award-winning Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham.

Pendine Academy assessor Jenna Evans who nominated Bethan for the award said her dedication to her leadership role and her resolve to always go the extra mile was formidable.

The City and Guilds Livery Company Prize is one of the most prestigious accolades given by the City and Guilds Foundation.

It was presented to Bethan by the Lord Mayor of London Alderman Nicholas Lyons at a ceremony and lunch at Mansion House in the City of London.

She said: “It was the surprise of my life. Gaining the qualification in itself was already a reward in my eyes. But I feel so touched to have even been nominated, never mind win this award. It’s a huge honour.”

Bethan was in her late twenties when she and her brother took on the Old Vicarage care home. She admits it was a big decision, made even more daunting when they found themselves confronting Covid as well, but she has never regretted the career switch.

She said: “It really was a baptism of fire for us trying to keep our residents safe through such an unprecedented and scary crisis. But we were determined to get through and put our residents’ wellbeing at the forefront of everything we did.

“That is why I decided to study for my Level 5 Management Qualification in the middle of it all. I felt I needed to be armed with as much knowledge as possible and learn the leadership skills to equip me to deal with the mountainous challenges we faced. It gave me the increased confidence and ability required to make informed and educated decisions.

“I am registered as the responsible adult at our care home and that meant I was the one our staff would turn to for leadership. I wanted to do that positively, and from the front."