About DEG
Who we are
DEG is an award-winning social enterprise supporting community led action across northwest Wales. We aim to increase our area’s ability to cope with the rising cost of fossil fuels and improve our natural environment whilst supporting communities transition to zero carbon.
What we do
Our work provides communities with the confidence, knowledge and ambition to take ownership of their future through projects such as:
- Reducing energy use, fuel costs and dependence on unsustainable fuels
- Strengthening the local economy
- Generating sustainable electricity and heat
DEG facilitates the application of best practice by running events that connect communities and encourage learning, sharing skills and experiences.
DEG provides information on what is possible, what has been achieved elsewhere in our area and best practise from community energy groups across Britain. We can help with:
- Identifying opportunities for your community
- Getting people involved
- Project planning and development
- Accessing expertise
- Raising finance to make projects happen
Vision and values
DEG’s work is underpinned by our vision and values:
Vision
We see North West Wales as a collection of vibrant, connected, local economies collaborating to bring home the benefits of our natural heritage.
Values
- We believe that re-localising our economies will make us less vulnerable to rising energy prices and give us more power to create the world we want.
- We contribute to communities becoming stronger, more self-supporting and resilient by generating their own energy and using it efficiently.
- We see the sustainability of the natural environment, fulfilling employment opportunities and the Welsh language and culture as interlinked.
- We want people to feel confident that they can contribute to creating a positive vision of future and work together to achieve it.
- We promote a collaborative approach where individuals and communities recognise their interconnectedness and support each other through sharing skills and resources for mutual benefit.
- We seek to understand and work alongside communities to identify solutions which are right for them, leaving a lasting legacy of skills, knowledge and capability.
Click here to read our Privacy Statement.
Click here to read our Welsh Offer.
The DEG team
Grant Peisley
Director
A social entrepreneur, localism practitioner and sustainable communities consultant. Grant is one of our Founding Directors and is also a Founding Director of YnNi Teg and Ynni Newydd. In the past Grant has helped to establish several social enterprises including his local pub Ty’n Llan, which he helped bring into community ownership. He spent five years as a Director of Community Energy Wales and more recently was charged with establishing the GwyrddNi movement for community climate action across Gwynedd.
Grant administers DEG’s operations, shares learning across projects and generally tries to find new ways of doing things better for Wales’ communities and everyone who lives in them. When he gets spare time he plays Cricket for Caernarfon and Wales over 50s where has earned 10 caps including 3 full internationals.
Rhian Cahill
GwyrddNi Project Coordinator
An experienced team leader within the heritage, tourism, arts and media industries. Rhian is the new Coordinator for DEG’s GwyrddNi movement, working with community partners and facilitators to enable delivery of ideas from the Community Climate Assemblies.
She has a varied project background of artist in residency programs and exhibition management which include, What a World!12 Stories, Colonial Countryside and Slate or State for the National Trust. This work gave people a clear voice and explored connections to place, culture and heritage.
In her spare time, she values being outdoors in the countryside walking the coastal paths. Passionate about protecting nature and wildlife, Rhian spends time beach cleaning with friends and family in the fight against plastic pollution.
Gwenno Llywelyn
Energy Services Coordinator
Gwenno joined the DEG team as an Energy Officer working on Prosiect Sero Net Gwynedd, supporting individuals and families across the areas of Caernarfon, Dyffryn Nantlle, Pen Llyn, and Dyffryn Peris to reduce energy bills and save carbon. She has since started coordinating DEG’s Energy Service, which provides energy assessments for homes and community buildings.
With a background in psychology and counselling, Gwenno enjoys working closely with people in the community and interacting with people from all walks of life.
Gwenno is also a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor with a vast interest in the decarbonisation of homes.
In her spare time she enjoys arts and crafts and baking cakes.
Sara Ashton-Thomas
Education Coordinator
Sara is GwyrddNi’s Education Coordinator. She will work with the rest of the team to build learning opportunities for the movement’s work. Before joining DEG Sara worked in a variety of roles at the juncture of sustainability, the environment, community, and learning. She’s passionate about the potential of people coming together to create a thriving and sustainable future on this planet and is in her element facilitating opportunities for this to happen. When she’s not working she’s mainly busy bringing up her two children and contributing to her community. She enjoys being outdoors, especially in the woods and the mountains.
Lowri Hedd Vaughan
Community Climate Action Facilitator
Lowri is GwyrddNi’s Community Climate Action Facilitator in the Dyffryn Peris area. Her career has been varied working across public services in social care, education and training and latterly running a hospitality and biodynamic farm social enterprise.
She has a particular interest in the interface and transformative potential between community and ecological regeneration. She has three sons and enjoys writing poetry, making music, wild swimming and climbing.
Osian Rowlands
Community Energy Officer and Education Officer
Osian joined the DEG team as a Community Energy Officer working on Prosiect Sero Net Gwynedd, supporting individuals and families mainly in the areas of Caernarfon and Dyffryn Peris. He now completes energy assessments as part of DEG’s Energy Service, and has started working two days a week as an Education Officer on the GwyrddNi programme, delivering climate and energy education to both children and adults.
As a teacher with 30 years experience, Osian is eager to put his communication skills into practice giving advice to the residents of Gwynedd on how to reduce their energy bills as well as their carbon footprint.
In his spare time he enjoys walking in the mountains, cycling, writing poetry and pottering in the garden.
Andy Charles-O’Callaghan
Senior Marketing and Communications officer
Experienced in youth development, campaigning, marketing and communications work, Andy is our Senior Marketing and Communications Officer for GwyrddNi. He works with the partnerships communications, marketing, and facilitation teams to support movement wide initiatives including the Seasonal Programme.
He has an interesting background having studied Marine Biology and Zoology at Bangor University but moving into youth development work to inspire young people with nature across North Wales. Supporting young people to have a voice to protect nature on their doorstep is what inspired him to move to a UK level campaigning and communication role with The Wildlife Trusts.
In his spare time he loves walking with his dog Woody, love to cook and bake, as well as hike and knit although not always at the same time!
Heledd Jones
GwyrddNi’s Community Communications Officer
Heledd serves as GwyrddNi’s Community Communications Officer, with key responsibility for ensuring that the voices, views and experiences of Gwynedd’s communities are heard and valued.
As a creative individual who is passionate about storytelling, she is committed to supporting and inspiring the public to share their positive experiences when involved with GwyrddNi. Heledd’s main hope in her role is to foster a sense of community ownership and ensure that GwyrddNi’s message and principles continue. By creating lively and reflective blogs, facilitating creative sessions, and encouraging individuals to voice their stories, she is confident that GwyrddNi’s positive legacy will continue to spread across Gwynedd for years to come.
In her spare time, Heledd enjoys creative writing, wandering and socialising.
Elfyn Lloyd
GwyrddNi Education Officer
Elfyn has joined our GwyrddNi team as an Education Officer since April 2026, and will be working alongside the team to bring the ideas of school pupils across Gwynedd to life.
Elfyn was a secondary teacher for over twenty years and is very much looking forward to using his skills and experiences to make creative resources and to extend our work and connections within our communities. As a Father of two boys who are almost teenagers he is very aware of his responsibility to equip them with the tools that allows them to extend their horizons and improve their future. With his new job he is looking forward to having the opportunity to do this with GwyrddNi on a wider level.