Our Staff

Director and Practice Owner

Hywel is one of the partners of the practice and has been here longer than he can remember! He grew up in a Welsh-speaking family on a farm in the Conwy Valley, gained a degree in Agriculture from Bangor University before graduating from the Royal Veterinary College, London.

Hywel has developed Celtic Breeding Services, a sheep breeding company attached to the practice.

After 30 years Hywel says he still feels privileged to be doing a job that he really enjoys and being a member of the farming community. When not at work, he can be found at home farming or mountain walking.

Director, Practice Owner and Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery

A fluent Welsh speaker, Kate has been a mixed practice vet since graduation, joining Ystwyth Vets in 1997, and completing her surgery certificate in 2004. She now runs Mill Referrals, a surgical referral service for the whole of Wales, within our practice. Kate has always been passionate about the job we do, and volunteers on various veterinary committees outside of work. In her downtime, she hangs out with her family or runs in the hills and countryside with her whippets.

Director and Practice Owner

Harry qualified from Cambridge University in 2016. After working in South Wales and a short stint out in New Zealand, Harry returned home to Aberystwyth and joined Ystwyth Vets in 2020.

Harry has a particular interest in cattle and sheep work but enjoys the variety of mixed practice.

Outside of work Harry enjoys all sports (transitioning from participant to supporter) and farming at home.

Director and Practice Owner

Hannah joined Ystwyth in 2015 following graduation from the Royal Veterinary College, London. After a few years in a mixed vet role Hannah embarked on an adventure to New Zealand in 2018 as a dairy vet, tackling large scale herd health and reproduction management, whilst also ticking off as many bucket list items as possible.

She returned to Ystwyth in 2019 to resume mixed vet life and has embraced the added challenge of studying for a certificate in small animal surgery.

Unable to sit still for long Hannah can often be found running trails (when the Welsh weather permits) or finding various craft projects to turn her hand to.

Clinical Lead

Diane is French, grew up in the Canary Islands, and is a lifelong Welsh learner, she worked in New Zealand, Welshpool and Llanrwst, before coming to Aberystwyth at the end of 2011.she enjoys all aspects of mixed practice, and holds a certificate in small medicine, gaining her Advanced Practitioner status in this subject in 2021. When not working, Diane enjoys outdoor activities including hill running, windsurfing and rock climbing.

Ed joined the practice in October 2021 after over ten years working in mixed practice in Wales. He particularly enjoys ultrasonography and surgery. 

He and his wife Sara have recently had their third child which means he spends a lot of time out in the garden looking for distraction. He looks back wistfully to the days when he had time for singing, panto and sea rowing.

Gruff qualified from the University of Liverpool in 2024 and has been working at Ystwyth since. He is a fluent Welsh speaker originally from a sheep mountain farm in Cwm Pennant North Wales. As a result of his farming background his main areas of interest are sheep lameness, cattle fertility and herd health. Outside of work Gruff enjoys socialising, mountaineering, and following both Everton and the Welsh national football team.

Graduating from the university of Adelaide in South Australia in 2015, Sarah worked for 6 years in mixed practice before moving to the northern hemisphere. After 3 years of being a locum veterinarian for different practices throughout the UK (including Ystwyth Veterinary Practice in Spring of 2025), Sarah decided she had not had enough of the UK winters and instead of heading home, settled in Aberystwyth for a while. She enjoys all aspects of mixed practice but especially sheep medicine and surgery. In her spare time she enjoys running, hiking, drinking good coffee, eating Welsh cakes and trying to learn Welsh dancing (she’s yet to attempt learning the Welsh language!)

Head Nurse

Nerys is our head nurse at the practice, she is a Welsh speaking local farmers daughter. Nerys is our equine nurse at the practice and enjoys all aspects of mixed practice nurse. Nerys is kept busy at home helping on the farm and training and competing with her horses.

Dawn moved here from Surrey where she lived on a houseboat and now lives near Ysbyty Ystwyth in a remote cottage.

She started working in a Veterinary Practice in 1986 as a trainee nurse and progressed to Head Nurse after qualifying. She enjoys all aspects of veterinary nursing.

Dawn enjoys walking her Irish terrier Ivy in the hills.

Bex has been a vet nurse for over 25 years, originally from Bath, but has been in west Wales for the last 18 years. She has a keen interest in Laboratory work and Canine behaviour.

When she’s not nursing you can find her out in the woods with her dog looking for mushrooms.

Gemma trained at Abbeydale in Monmouth and, before becoming a veterinary nurse, spent time travelling and working across Australia, New Zealand and Canada. She has since worked in a number of practices across South Wales before joining the team at Ystwyth Vets in Aberystwyth. She enjoys all aspects of veterinary nursing. Gemma is also a keen Welsh learner. Outside of work, she enjoys long walks with her two dogs, Romy and Melle.

Student Nurse

Glesni is one of our student veterinary nurses. She originally started as one of our ANA’s before moving onto the veterinary nursing course in Abbeydale college. When she’s not studying, she enjoys hiking and reading as well as looking after her 3 horses.

Student Nurse

Olivia is a Welsh speaker living locally in Penrhyn Coch. Olivia joined the practice in September 2024 after completing her diploma studying animal management. Her goal is to become a veterinary nurse. Outside of work Olivia enjoys farming and walking the Welsh mountains with her 4 springer spaniels.

Practice Manager

Wendy joined the team in 2023 as our Practice Manager.  She has previously worked in Finance, Purchasing and Project Management, and brings all these skills to Ystwyth Vets. Wendy is a keen swimmer, having moved to Ceredigion just prior to Covid in order to be closer to the sea. She lives on a small holding with her husband Rod, 4 dogs, and 2 lovely gypsy cobs. She also has an elderly Sec A that was used by a previous owner to give rides at a tourist attraction until he dumped one too many kids on the ground. Wendy’s role at Ystwyth is very much back office based but occasionally she escapes to the front desk to cover Reception, and she always pops into the prep room to see what pets are in for the day.

Karen, a Welsh speaker, has been a member of the admin/reception team since 1993, having previously worked for the Welsh Pony & Cob Society for six years.  Originally from Aberystwyth, she now lives in the countryside and divides her time between her three adult children, family and close friends.  Karen has three horses, Mali, Tonca and Rocky and a lively dog called Dyfi and enjoys walking, in particular, the Wales Coastal Path with like minded friends.

Tracey joined the practice in 2007, following an admin post at Trawsgoed Farm. Tracey has a cat Tilly, and she is very busy spending her leisure time with her 6 grandchildren, and any spare time left she likes to read and socialise with friends.

Nikki joined the team in 2016 following a role as a reception manager in a large doctor’s practice in Aberystwyth. She studied Equine at Aberystwyth University. She’s married with two children and two pets. Enjoys running, cycling, gardening and cars

Angharad joined our Business Support Team in October 2021. She has spent the last 20 years as an Office Manager at a local jewellery shop. Angharad lives locally on a busy farm with her husband and two boys. She enjoys spending time taking Pegi, the family dog on long walks as well as day-to-day jobs on the farm; she especially enjoys lambing season. If she has any free time she spends it baking tasty treats for the family.

Finance Officer

Rhiannon joined the team in May 2024 as our Finance Officer.

Rhiannon moved to Aberystwyth from the West Midlands in 2014 for university and fell in love with the area and people. After finishing her Mathematics degree, she found a passion for finance and started self-studying with AAT in 2021.She lives in the Llanbadarn Fawr area with her partner. In her free time, she can be found with a good book, playing a cosy board game, or planning the next escape room adventure.

Zoe joined the admin team in March 2025. Following 10 years in the pharmacy industry. She moved to Aberystwyth to study at the uni where she met her partner. She enjoys walking and spending her time with her two springer spaniels Kai and Mabli.

Dylan joined the team as a TB tester in December 2025. Dylan has moved back to the area, having grown up local to Aberystwyth. He has worked in the beef and sheep industry all his working life, as well as farming which takes up most of his spare time.