Diolch i Caerdydd am croesawu ni adref // Thank you to Cardiff, for welcoming us home.

Having grown up on Ynys Môn, I know better than most the importance of supporting Wales in securing opportunities. I’m descended from miners and ship builders, ten generations of family lore ensured I knew the value of industry and opportunity. I soon realised that if I were to get on in life, I would have to leave the island and cross the border. Job opportunities were evaporating and I understood that unless things changed, the bittersweet taste of hiraeth would become overwhelming.

When my career path crossed with Camargue, it was an immediate fit. A business that prides itself on working in Wales, with Welsh people, on Welsh projects? There wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation.

When I learned that, to build on many years of working in Wales, the company planned to take the next step and open a Cardiff office, I was invested - mind, body and soul. Having a space to call ‘home’ on the other side of the Bristol channel was music to my ears.

Fast forward a year, our Cardiff office celebrates its first anniversary and continues to go from strength to strength.

What a year it’s been. We’ve welcomed new clients, grown our team with local talent, and invested even more in building our reputation across the border. But most importantly we’ve continued to guide and encourage our clients to achieve, and exceed, their goals.

Alongside my colleagues I’ve thrown my all into supporting our Welsh clients, bringing experience, cultural knowledge and fresh ideas to every project. Leaving the office each day knowing we put our all into delivering the best impact we possibly can.

In so many ways, we’ve always been here. Day in and day out, supporting our clients and getting the job done. But now, we’re doing it with a view of the city out of the window, hearing Welsh spoken in the lobby and greeting clients, old and new, in their native language on their home turf.

So, what’s all this to say? It’s quite simple really, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest thing I’ve done in my career is say ‘ie’ to Camargue. They know what it means to invest, not just in people but in places too. They see the potential, they understand that no matter how big or small, it all matters. They know that if it’s important, it’s worth doing, and iesu do they do it well!

What do I see in our future? For starters, many many more anniversaries. I also see a Camargue that continues to attract the brightest people, the most exciting projects and the most dynamic clients.

To me, opening an office in Cardiff was never the end goal, quite the opposite, it was the start of something phenomenal.

Hiraeth (Welsh pronunciation:[hɪraɨ̯θ,hiːrai̯θ]^]) It is a mixture of longing, yearning, nostalgia, wistfulness or an earnest desire for the Wales of the past.