Alun Thomas

Alun Thomas is the Chief Executive of Adferiad and was appointed to this role when the charity was created in 2021 through the merger of 4 Welsh based mental health and substance use organisations. He was previously Chief Executive of Hafal, and had been with Hafal since 2001 when the organisation was the Welsh arm of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship (now Rethink Mental Illness). Adferiad is a member-led charity that campaigns for and provides services to people affected by mental ill health, drug or alcohol use, gambling harms, and other challenging circumstances. The charity aims to be a rights affirming organisation and has recently merged with Diverse Cymru to enhance its inclusivity approach.

Alun is a Registered General Nurse who has worked in the NHS, developed a neurological rehabilitation service in the private healthcare sector, and in the charity, has worked across all aspects of organisational development, campaigning, political and local engagement, HR, finance, and service delivery. While working with the charity, Alun achieved a first class LLB, a Master’s in the Ethics of Social Welfare, and is just completing his PhD in mental health and human rights law at the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law at Swansea University. Much of his interest in law developed from the Mental Health Bill campaigns in the early 2000s, and his involvement in the creation of the first Welsh mental health law since the 10th Century.

Alun is a founding Trustee of Mental Health UK and a Trustee of Developing a Caring Wales and is delighted to be able to contribute to the excellent work of the Association and hopefully its further development in Wales.