A New Chapter for ProMo Cymru as Marco Reflects on 27 Years

After nearly three decades of leading ProMo Cymru, Chief Executive Marco Gil-Cervantes is stepping into a new strategic role as Development Director.

Where it all began

Marco’s journey with ProMo began 27 years ago, when he joined the South Wales Co-operative Development Association as a project worker. His task was to support young people in South Cardiff to develop their ideas and businesses within the cultural industries. 

It was those very young people who came up with the name and first logo for the project: ProMo. The star that featured in that original logo, a symbol of aspiration and hope, lives on in ProMo’s identity to this day.

Impact, Profile, Growth

What began as a one-person project in Cardiff has grown into something truly remarkable. ProMo Cymru now employs over 50 members of staff, delivers projects nationally across Wales, and holds meaningful links and collaborations across the UK and Europe.

ProMo’s focus has always been to support young people and communities. By staying true to the youth work principles and co-operative values at our core, we make sure that our work remains authentic – everything else we do flows naturally from that foundation. 

Marco’s legacy

The list of achievements across those 27 years is long, but a few stand out as particularly defining. 

• Transforming a vacant bus ticket office into The Abacus, a vibrant, artist-led community space offering a platform for local artists, musicians, and creative minds to connect, exhibit, and perform.
• Organising DeepCult events including international festivals and the Sanctuary Wales event in Cardiff Bay, the “infamous” Atomic Fish Collective and a cross-cultural exchange bringing St Kitts Carnival performers to the Aberdare Festival.
• Developing Meic, the national information, advice and advocacy helpline for children and young people in Wales, which came directly from the success of the CLIC project, the national information service for young people in Wales. 
• Playing a pivotal role in saving the Ebbw Vale Institute, the oldest institute in Wales, from closure and dereliction. Today, the EVI stands as a community and cultural building, serving the communities of Ebbw Vale and Blaenau Gwent. 

Alongside these, ProMo has worked across the NHS, youth services and the third sector to ensure young voices genuinely guide the development of mental health services in Wales.

Marco is the first to emphasise that none of this has been a solo endeavour. He shares that ProMo’s success stems from “the collaboration, hard work and dedication of our staff, and the stability and dedication of our volunteer board members.” 

What comes next?

In his new role as Development Director, Marco will focus on strategic growth and future opportunities, helping to keep ProMo at the forefront of innovation and social enterprise. He remains deeply invested in the organisation’s journey ahead.

“I have always worked to develop a confident, creative, supportive culture and people within ProMo Cymru as the bedrock to succession, which is crucial to our future success and development,” Marco reflects. 

“This transition feels like it’s been 27 years in the making – and I feel confident that with our new Co-CEOs, Arielle and Cindy, together with our amazing colleagues, we are ready for the future.”