A MINFFORDD woman has been shortlisted for a major honour.

Julie Mundy, 52, who has turned the disappointment of redundancy into a rewarding new career opportunity with a North Wales charity that supports adults with learning disabilities, has been shortlisted for a Vocational Qualification Award for Wales.

The mother-of-three from Minffordd, near Porthmadog, is one of three finalists competing for the VQ Higher Learner of the Year Award. She will discover if she has won at a ceremony in Cardiff on 6 June.

Julie is team leader of the furniture recycling unit at Seren Cyf in Blaenau Ffestiniog and her passion for lifelong learning has seen her complete a Higher Apprenticeship (Level 4) in Systems and Operations Management.

A qualified florist who previously worked as a school cook and customer service manager, she was forced to find a new job more than five years ago when made redundant by Gelert.

“It was an opportunity to find something that I really wanted to do because I never really thought about a career when I was bringing my kids up,” she said. “The chance to recycle furniture with Seren Cyf was a big pull and I also wanted to support people with learning difficulties.”

Julie leads a team of eight at Seren Cyf. She is “proud” to be the first learner with Cambrian Training Company to complete the Level 4 Diploma and managed it in less than two years.

The team leader added: “I’m proud of the work we do and how it has a positive effect on the community as a whole.”

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