Grŵp Cynefin appoints Nia Hughes as director of finance and resources

Grŵp Cynefin has appointed Nia Hughes as Director of Finance and Resources, bringing a former Muir Group Housing Association finance chief into the north Wales housing association that announced a 30-year business plan worth more than £200m in July 2026.

The association announced the appointment on 16 October 2026. It said Hughes, a chartered accountant, was previously Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Services at Muir Group Housing Association.

Hughes is not new to the organisation. According to Grŵp Cynefin, she previously served as a member of its Management Board, and she has also sat on the board of ClwydAlyn, another housing association.

Mel Evans, Chief Executive of Grŵp Cynefin, said: "Managing our finances and resources responsibly is central to our work for tenants and communities, and I look forward to working with Nia."

The finance brief

Hughes joins an association that announced a revised 30-year business plan in July 2026, approved by its Board. Grŵp Cynefin said the plan earmarks more than £200m for investment in homes and communities across north Wales and north Powys.

The plan provides for 503 new homes alongside improvements to existing properties and support for local jobs, the association said. At the time, Evans said the revised plan gave Grŵp Cynefin "strong foundations" for its future.

Grŵp Cynefin operates across the six counties of north Wales and north Powys and manages about 5,000 homes. It is in the second year of its 2025 to 2028 corporate plan, A Place to Belong, which Evans has said was devised with input from more than 500 tenants, staff and board members.

Hughes said: "I will be contributing my experience in finance and governance to the responsible management of our resources, helping us to strengthen services and develop affordable homes."

Recent performance

The association's annual report for 2024-25, reported in September 2025, recorded 35 new homes completed at Llys Awelon in Ruthin, 409 homes allocated through the Tai Teg scheme and 487 properties upgraded through capital investment. It also reported £1.66m in financial gains secured for tenants.

The Welsh Government's most recent published regulatory judgement on Grŵp Cynefin is the 2024 edition, dated 9 May 2024.

Leadership changes

The appointment follows a reshaping of the association's senior team in 2024, when Evans was appointed Chief Executive. In October 2024 Grŵp Cynefin confirmed Nia Owen, its former Head of Finance, permanently as Director of Resources after a period acting in the role.

The post Hughes has taken carries the title Director of Finance and Resources.

The 30-year plan's 503 new homes sit alongside the improvement of the association's existing stock of about 5,000 homes.