Gaynor Richards was educated at Maesydderwen Comprehensive School in Powys, South Wales, where she was Head Girl. She has a degree in History and English and Business and an MSc in Management. She has worked in the Public, Private and Third Sectors.
In 1997, Gaynor was appointed as the inaugural Executive Director of Neath Port Talbot Council for Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service, a position she still holds.
She is a passionate and lifelong campaigner for social justice and always prepared to champion children and young people and the most vulnerable in our communities, finding ways to practically make a positive difference, confronting, and combating issues that make social justice difficult such as poverty, exclusion and discrimination.
Gaynor has influenced change in areas such as Early Years, Education, Health, Community Resilience and Employability. She was an adviser to Welsh Government on the initial Childcare Strategy, represented Wales on the UK Childcare Commission, and as Chair, established the Welsh Out of School Childcare organisation – Clybiau Plant Cymru. She also set up the first Independent Childcare Social Enterprise in Wales, a Sustainable Business, creating many local jobs.
Gaynor led the first Compact (Partnership) Agreement between a Local Authority and the local Voluntary/Community/Third Sector in Wales in 1997 and in 1999 the first Compact Agreement in Wales between Health and the Local Voluntary/Community Sector. She played a lead role in the first Compact Agreement between The South Wales Police, Police and Crime Commissioner and the Third Sector across the South Wales Police area in 2016.
In 2009, she was the inaugural Third Sector Non-Officer Member of ABMU Health Board, a position which she held for eight years. As a member of the Board, Gaynor was appointed as the Children and Young People’s Champion, Welsh Language Champion and Chair of the Workforce and Organisation Development Committee. As Children and Young People’s Champion, she led the development of the first Children’s Rights Charter in the UK, a pioneering contribution enabling the Health Board to become a Right’s Respecting Organisation.
From 2011 to 2021, Gaynor held the position of Chair of Governors at Neath Port Talbot College Group of Colleges. This is an organisation with a turnover of over £55m, overseeing six subsidiary companies (social enterprises) whose profits are re-invested back into providing Further and Higher Education to the local population.
She is a member of the Neath Port Talbot Public Services Board, the West Glamorgan Regional Partnership Board, the Ministerial Task Force for the Valleys and Chair of the National Third Sector Infrastructure Network on Influencing and Engagement and a previous a member of Welsh Government Governance Committee and Welsh Government Social Enterprise Working Group.
In 2014, Gaynor was appointed as one of three EU Funding Ambassadors working to the First Minister.
She is a former Board member of Big Lottery Wales Committee and currently a member of the UK’s ‘End High Cost Credit Alliance’ which is led by actor Michael Sheen.
In 2008, she was awarded an MBE for Services to the Voluntary/Community Sector and also received the Chancellor’s Medal from the University of Glamorgan for outstanding Service to the Community and University.
In 2017, Gaynor received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Women in Business.
In 2018, she became a Member of Council for Swansea University and also received an Honorary Doctorate of Law (LLD Hon).
In 2013/14 she was appointed as High Sheriff of West Glamorgan.
She was appointed as DL in 2019 and awarded a Fellowship of NPTC Group of Colleges in 2023.
Gaynor continues her involvement as a volunteer with a range of voluntary/community organisations.