Donough Shanahan, the new chairman of Swansea CAMRA

Swansea CAMRA has a new chairman from today and he wants to know what you think.

Donough Shanahan, 34, was voted in to the branch’s top job after former chairman Paul James stood down at the annual general meeting last month.

With many hot topics under discussion both nationally and locally within Camra, Donough’s first message to members was: “I want to receive your advice, feedback and thoughts in these rapidly changing times.”

He added: “I’d like to thank the branch for choosing me as their chair. Paul has put in tireless work over the last few years and deserves our thanks. Under his guidance, Swansea CAMRA has continued to campaign successfully for real ale. I hope to continue on the work of Paul and other chairs of our past. My immediate focus will be to assist the new beer festival organisers in getting the annual festival ready for August.”

A process engineer at Tata Steel, Donough has been a member of CAMRA for seven years, during which time he has put in a lot of hard work for the campaign, volunteering at many beer festivals, completing bar manager training and acting as a deputy manager at the Great British Beer Festival.

Outgoing chairman Paul James said: “I believe it is healthy for an organisation to refresh its leadership regularly and now is the time for me to step aside and give someone else the opportunity to head the branch.

“Donough is well qualified to step into the role of chairman. He has plenty of ideas and enthusiasm for the future of the branch. I have enjoyed my three years in the role and I hope I’ve left the branch in a strong position to tackle the challenges ahead.”

If you would like to share your thoughts and questions with Donough, you are likely to find him in his local, the Queens Hotel in Swansea Marina. Otherwise, please leave your comments below or leave a message on our SwanseaCamra facebook page.