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Welsh language ambassadors help promote use of Welsh after school

By Stephen Price
The new school ambassadors

29 new young ambassadors are set to work alongside their peers in schools across Wales to help raise awareness of the benefits of using the Welsh language after leaving school.

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol has announced the names of the new ambassadors from secondary schools across Wales for the 2024-25 academic year.

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An eye on the future

Among the ambassadors that have been chosen are Rhys Matthews, a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, Cardiff, who is also a member of band, Taran.

Rhys

Rhys is currently studying A levels in Welsh, History and Maths, and looks forward to promoting the importance of Welsh music while being an ambassador.

He said:"Music is very important as it’s the key to enable many young people to embrace and use their Welsh beyond school. As an ambassador, I look forward to promoting the Welsh language as a vibrant and exciting language, which opens so many doors.”

Rhodd Auronwen Jones from Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, Wrexham is a proud member of 'Côr Ni', a new choir established in Wrexham for the National Eisteddfod 2025.

Rhodd

She said:"I'm excited to be an ambassador for the Coleg at my school to promote the Welsh language in my area, especially at the Wrexham National Eisteddfod next year."

"Many people think that not many people speak Welsh in Wrexham, but there is a fantastic Welsh community here!

Jacob Simmonds, a pupil at Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw is keen to work with children in the future.

Jacob

He added: "I would like to work with children, whether in education or in the social care sector, and I feel the Welsh language will be extremely useful in communicating with children.

"I've been brought up in a non-Welsh speaking household so I value my Welsh language education and the opportunities that have been open to me. As an ambassador for the Coleg, I will be promoting how the Welsh language will be beneficial in future careers.”

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Straight to work

The ambassadors will begin their work this month, and they will develop skills representing the Coleg Cymraeg and their school at events at Wales' biggest festivals, and in creating content for social media.

Elin Williams, Marketing Manager at Coleg Cymraeg, said: "The school ambassador scheme is going from strength to strength with a number of schools now contacting us with great enthusiasm to be part of the scheme.

"We are looking forward to working with all the new ambassadors and sincerely hope that they will be able to inspire their peers to continue their education through the medium of Welsh."

To find out more about the ambassadors and to follow the scheme during the year, visit the Coleg Cymraeg social media.

Tik Tok, Instagram, X and Facebook: @colegcymraeg

Find out more about Coleg Cymraeg here.

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18 comments

Sbeve

And to speak with people maybe? Have you not thought of that? What I hate about you imperial minded snobs is that you forget other languages are used apart from English, spoken day to day. "Welsh patriot" should be renamed to "Welsh quisling". Ikke sant, du gammel Vidkun?

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Jack

Everybody speaks English, nothing wrong with that. You can be proudly Welsh and not have any Welsh language - consider the poetry of Dylan Thomas which is unmistakeably Welsh as but one example. Equally consider the cultures of the USA and Australia - strongly American and Australian and they use the English language. Using English is fine - it is what is said in the language which matters, not the actual English language. The distinction I have made in the previous sentence is one the Welsh language zealots have not understood.

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Vale Cymru

I agree, too many equate being Welsh with speaking Welsh.

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Sbeve

Absolute rubbish. Sorry but you and vale cymru are talking utter garbage. When did I say anything about not being able to be proud to be Welsh and non-Welsh speaking eh? I'll answer that one for you: nowhere. All you three hate the language and I'm sure claim to be proud to be Welsh. You can't have it both ways buckaroo.

Reply
Jack

I agree with you totally. Become really skilled in English and you can get a well paid job anywhere in the world. Become really skilled in Welsh and you get stuck in a job in one arae all your life. Welsh language is a disincentive for maximising your life chances.

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Richard Huw Morgan

But that’s not actually true is it? Ask Ioan Gruffydd or Matthew Rhys. ‘Becoming really skilled’ in Welsh and English are not mutually exclusive.

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Sbeve

Okay Jackie, then what about Latvian, Slovenian, Finnish, Ukrainian. That also means you're stuck in one place for the rest of your life, no? Or is it just Welsh because it's one rule for us? I wish the greatest of failures in your monoglot little life.

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Gwyn Hopkins

I have to laugh at Jack's mention of Welsh language zealots. There might be a few of those but their number is absolutely miniscule compared to the hundreds of millions of English language zealots all over the English speaking world, a good number of whom I've met in England, Scotland, Wales, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc. For centuries the English establishment has done its utmost to destroy the Welsh language a policy Jack, no doubt, supports.

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Sbeve

There's a difference between being proud to be Welsh and non-Welsh speaking, and then claiming to be proud to be Welsh, and hating the language. Jack is a pure example of a Welshman who truly wishes he wasn't one.

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Rhosddu

His bigotry regarding anything that smacks of Welshness is so extreme that I'm sceptical about any claims he may make regarding being Welsh. His description of Wales as an 'arae [sic'] is also a bit of a giveaway. He may be the same 'Jack' who was banned from Wales Reddit a few years ago for offensive language, I believe; the moderators may in fact have simply got sick of his constant stream of negative comments about the country. Well done, those young people, by the way.

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Welsh Patriot

Gwyn, I would love to see what Jack wrote, but as usual Nation.Cymru removes comments that don't fit its agenda! and you think GB News is biased!

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Vale Cymru

You forgot being an activist! And placing stickers on street signs.🤣

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Sbeve

Move to England. Go on, I'll drive you to the border myself. You won't have to bare the thought of looking at Welsh on signs then, never mind our stickers! 🤣

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Welsh Patriot

12 comments. I only see 3 comments posted on here? I wonder why the other 9 were deleted? Were they not supportive of the article or questioned the use of the Welsh language?

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Stephen Price

If they're voted down by other users enough, they get binned automatically. Some people cross the line and have nothing better to do besides visit daily just to stir, troll and spread negativity. It gets boring, so they're doing us a favour.

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Sbeve

Of course it was Welsh patriot who said there was no point using Welsh after school for career purposes. Thankfully over 10 people downvoted his anti-language comment and had his rubbish deleted.

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In reply to Sbeve

Stephen Price

I wish I had so much free time on my hands!

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Welsh Patriot

"If they’re voted down by other users enough, they get binned automatically" Very convenient that, open and honest journalism and free speech alive and well, here in Wales???

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Leave a reply

Replying to Sbeve Cancel

Move to England. Go on, I'll drive you to the border myself. You won't have to bare the thought of looking at Welsh on signs then, never mind our stickers! 🤣

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