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For more than 40 years, Malcolm has played a leading role, both professionally and politically, in shaping policies and developing services for children and young people in Wrexham, Wales, the UK and beyond.

Newly appointed in 1977 as the manager of the County Council’s community-based youth justice services in Wrexham, he soon recognised the overwhelming need to radically reduce the extraordinary level of youth offending in Caia Park. Starting an adventure playground, in 1978, became a key part of the strategy. Developing it became a major part of his life. 

In 1989 Malcolm was elected as one of two County Councillors for Caia Park. It too became a major part of his life.

His very early appointment as the Chair of Clwyd County Council’s Social Services Committee very soon led to a thirty-year quest to uncover the extent of child abuse within the care system, at first in north Wales, then the UK and beyond.

Following local government reorganisation in Wales, Malcolm was elected in 1995 as a Councillor for Caia Park, for the new unitary authority of Wrexham County Borough Council.

Since then, Malcolm has served as Leader of the Council and Chair of North Wales Police Authority and has been the chair of eleven national bodies or committees across Wales and England, including the Police Authorities of Wales, the Social Services Committee for Wales and the Children’s Committee for Wales. He has also served as the chair of the children’s committees for England and Wales for both the Local Government Association and Association of Police Authorities (APA). As chair of the APA’s Neighbourhood Policing Committee, Malcolm played a leading role in developing neighbourhood policing across Wales and England.

He has led various campaigns over the years, including the campaign for a Judicial Inquiry into child abuse in north Wales, which led to major reforms and the successful national campaign against forming regional police forces.

 

He was the vice chair of CEOP, the UK-wide Police Service child protection agency, and was an adviser on child protection to the Lithuanian Government. Malcolm is currently chair of Wrexham Council’s Democratic Services Committee and Chair of Caia Park Community Council and a governor of Rhosnesni High School. He has also been a Trustee of Play Wales and its predecessors for most of the last 35+ years.

Over time, The Venture has developed a wide range of services and has been adopted as a model for different types of children’s services across the UK and beyond, including Integrated Children’s Centres in Wales. Malcolm continues to be excited to be developing new innovative services to meet ever growing and changing needs.