The work of the Urdd in helping to develop the Welsh language has been praised by the Minister for Education and Skills, Leighton Andrews, during a visit to their Glan-llyn Residential Centre in Bala last week.
Mr Andrews said the outdoor activity centre provided an excellent outlet for people to use Welsh in an informal setting, helping to improve people’s confidence in using the language.
He said:
“We have made good progress in ensuring more young people learn Welsh at school but they need more opportunities to use the language outside the school gates.
“Glan-llyn has been providing those opportunities for more than 60 years and is also an important centre for those learning the language.
“That is why we have invited the Urdd to lead on a piece of work to advise us on the needs and aspirations of young people as we develop our Welsh Language Strategy.
“As the Minister with responsibility for the Welsh language I am determined to drive forward our strategy to ensure the language continues to thrive and people have the opportunity to use it in every area of their lives. Working closely with partners like the Urdd will be key to making sure we achieve that.”
The Minister had an opportunity to see the centre’s outdoor facilities and met some school pupils that were staying there.
He also discussed progress on the development of the Welsh Government’s Welsh Language Strategy and implementation of the Welsh Medium Education Strategy.
Efa Gruffudd Jones, Urdd Chief Executive said,
“We were delighted to welcome the Minister to Glan-llyn today – and to discuss how the Urdd ensures that children and young people can have fun through the medium of Welsh.”
