Darllenwch y dudualen hon yn Gymraeg
Dr Richard Fry is a Senior Lecturer in Geography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at Swansea University Medical School. Here he explains the role that geospatial data and geographical mapping are playing in producing research to inform policy in Wales.
Wales is a geographically and socially diverse country meaning that where we live and work plays a huge part in our health and wellbeing. With the impact on health and wellbeing at the forefront of all policy decisions in Wales, it is clear that as a nation we need to understand more about how, and why our geography affects us in Wales.
Location is a defining element of the way we live, work and socialise. It can impact the services and spaces we have access to, the language and accent we speak in, even the quality of our wifi connection. Understanding the world in terms of location, using location-based data, is crucial to the functioning of modern society. This is most strikingly demonstrated today by the role location data continues to play in the response and recovery to the coronavirus pandemic. Has the question of ‘where?’ ever been more relevant?
Before joining Welsh Government I completed my degree in History at the University of Reading. After graduating I wasn’t sure about what path to take regarding a career, as until then I’d only worked part-time jobs while at school. Over Christmas I started working in retail as a customer assistant, and began building my experience and skills. After 3 years and undertaking a variety of roles I decided that I did not see a long-term career in retail management and began searching for a different career path aligned with my interests. Initially I was debating going back to university to continue my education; however I was disappointed with the potential prospects offered by a Masters in History. I fired off applications for all sorts of jobs, from the National Crime Agency to air traffic control – just to try something different. 
I worked for BT as a Project Manager for 25 years ….. and 12 months ago there was an opportunity for me to accept redundancy terms.