A pembroke teenager is one of Wales’ new faces of equality.

Kirby Jones, a Priory Project pupil and member of the gypsy community, is appearing on billboards and adverts in connection with a campaign by the Equality and Human Rights Commission called ‘Who do you see?’ Kirby, who recently gave a presentation to the European Parliament in Brussels, travelled to the launch of the campaign in Cardiff last week.

Kirby, aged 19, welcomed the opportunity to represent her community.

“There are no role models to speak out on behalf of the gypsy community and I felt this was a chance for someone to do so and be recognised for the good that we do instead of the bad,” she said.

A mobile billboard is winding its way around Welsh roads challenging people to think beyond their first impressions. Kirby’s image was also used in a flash animation spanning more than 15 metres which was projected onto the commission’s office in Cardiff.

Kirby is a former pupil of Monkton CP School, which supports the education of about 200 gypsy traveller pupils in the county and is regarded as one of the most successful services in Wales.

The school has succeeded in engaging gypsy traveller young people in education beyond the usual leaving age and equips them with skills to enter higher education and pursue a range of careers.