Methryr Tydfil playgroup helps boost Welsh language in community
A woman who was embarrassed that she could not speak Welsh has sent her children to a playgroup to help them learn the language.Hannah Phillips' three daughters are all receiving their education through Welsh, with her youngest attending Welsh language playgroup Cylch Meithrin, on the Gurnos estate in Merthyr Tydfil."I wanted them to speak our language because I feel I should be speaking Welsh," said Hannah.The group was set up by Myfanwy Harman in January 2023, where there was just one child, but the group has now grown to 27 children.
Ms Phillips from Penydarren said she was from over the valley and there "are no Welsh speakers in our village"."I am a massive fan of the language and am slightly embarrassed I don't speak Welsh," she said."We went to the Eisteddfod, the sports bit, a couple of weeks ago, it is such a beautiful language. It was lovely to hear, especially my girls speaking in Cymraeg [Welsh]."
Myfanwy Harman said when she first set up the group it was "hard"."It was difficult to build up that relationship and trust, and show parents you don't need to be afraid of the language."Now we have established that and shown that Welsh is for everyone."Ms Harman said the playgroup had helped changed attitudes towards the Welsh language."When we first opened here we had a few occasions when people walked past and shouted over to us things like 'oh we don't speak Welsh here', but as time has gone on they see that they do, and they can."This term all the children from the Gurnos Cylch Meithrin have gone on to full-time Welsh-medium education, giving the playgroup cause to celebrate, said Ms Phillips."Having the opportunity in areas like the Gurnos to introduce our language is fantastic and very much needed in Merthyr."I think we get a little bit forgotten sometimes when it comes to the Welsh language and our culture."The Gurnos gets massive press coverage for the wrong reasons a lot of the time and this is the stuff we don't see, which is the vital stuff."
Louisa Jones who is from Cornwall, but now lives in Gurnos with both her children attending Cylch Meithrin, said: "My little girl and boy were born here and are Welsh, as someone who is Cornish, our language unfortunately died. "It is so important we don't lose Welsh."With her children both speaking Welsh, Ms Jones felt that she wanted to learn the language."It is really inspirational, so much so that I am now learning Welsh and am volunteering here so that I can be in an environment where I can hear lots of Welsh."Learning Welsh has helped Ms Jones feel part of the Gurnos community."I have always felt a bit of an outsider in this community, but a big thing for me is having a shared culture with my community and having some Welsh language means something."I feel much more a part of my community by having this shared culture and heritage."
It is not just parents that are learning Welsh on the estate, Ola Pala is a nursery assistant at Cylch Meithrin, having moved to Merthyr from Poland when she was seven.Working as a nursery assistant has helped her improve her Welsh."Welsh is a hard language to learn and I am still learning, I learnt it when I was in school but I am learning more here because there is Welsh everywhere."It really is important for me, because I want to help the children."
Katie Phillips lives in Merthyr and is a former pupil at the Welsh primary school Ysgol Santes Tudful and went to Ysgol Rhydywaun, a Welsh-medium comprehensive school in the Cynon Valley.She now works for the Welsh language Society, Cymdeithas yr Iaith, and said she felt attitudes towards the Welsh language were changing."There's more of a demand for people learn Welsh and for their children to speak Welsh," she said."I think people like my parents wish they could have had the opportunity when they were younger, but didn't so we have a bit of a lost generation."The growth of the Welsh language on the Gurnos estate is being welcomed locally.Lis Mclean, who runs Canolfan Soar which is home to a number of local Welsh language organisations, said: "I think the Welsh language is incredibly important to people in Merthyr."When you watch someone learning Welsh you see them change, they have a certain pride in themselves."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TTG
3 hours ago
- TTG
Short watch: what's hot in Canada this year and next
TTG Media Limited. Place of registration: England and Wales. Company number 08723341. Registered address: 2-6 Boundary Row, London, SE1 8HP
The Independent
19 hours ago
- The Independent
Calls for ban on popular funfair pet prize
The RSPCA is urging the government and local councils across England to ban funfairs from giving away goldfish in plastic bags as prizes. The animal welfare charity highlights that goldfish suffer immense pain and stress, including shock and oxygen starvation, when kept in small bags, often dying before reaching their new homes. Over 160 English councils and all 22 Welsh local authorities have already restricted this activity on their land, but the RSPCA is calling for a complete ban on both council and private land. Goldfish are sentient beings that can live for up to 30 years and grow significantly, requiring substantial water space, which is not provided in the small bags given as prizes. A recent survey indicated strong public support, with nearly three-quarters of adults agreeing that local governments should ban giving pets as prizes.
The Independent
20 hours ago
- The Independent
RSPCA calls for ban on goldfish as prizes at funfairs
The RSPCA is calling on the government and local councils across England to ban funfairs from giving away goldfish in plastic bags as prizes. The animal welfare charity said the creatures silently suffer 'immense pain and stress' by being put in small bags and handed out to fair-goers. Many goldfish die before their new owners even get them home. Goldfish are sensitive and sentient beings, capable of feeling pain, the charity said. But when kept in water in bags for hours on end, they may suffer from shock, oxygen starvation or sudden changes in water temperature, and many do not recover. The charity said giving pets away as prizes also damages how animals are perceived by society. More than 160 English councils out of around 300 have banned funfairs from using goldfish as prizes. District and borough councils, unitary authorities and in some cases, town or parish councils, usually own the land where funfairs operate. All of Wales 's 22 local authorities have restricted the activity on their land, but giving away goldfish is legal on private land in both England and Wales. So the RSPCA is also calling on both the UK and Welsh governments to outlaw giving pets as prizes. Goldfish, which can live for up to 30 years, may grow up to 30cm long, and experts say young ones need at least 60 litres of water each, while adults need even more space. But at funfairs, the bags of water used are small so the oxygen runs out unless replenished frequently, the charity explained. 'There is no way to control the temperature, and the bags are often placed in direct sunlight, so they could overheat,' a spokesperson said. 'We have also received reports of dead fish lying in the plastic bags, filled with 'green slime' while the games continue. 'Transport home will also be stressful; goldfish are easily stressed by sudden changes to their environment. Once 'home', the owner may not have prepared the right environment.' In 2019, a man who swallowed a goldfish at a funfair was banned from keeping them as pets. Evie Button, an RSPCA animal welfare expert, said: 'They're misunderstood pets as they can make great companions; but can be challenging to look after and owners must do their research before they acquire the fish, not afterwards. 'Handing someone a sentient animal in a plastic bag full of water as a prize can clearly encourage individuals to not treat them as a sentient being, but rather as a worthless object that can be thrown away.' In a survey of more than 2,200 adults last month, nearly three in four (73 per cent) agreed that local governments should ban the giving of pets as prizes on council-owned land, and more than eight in 10 (84 per cent) said keeping a goldfish in a bag was cruel. The Department for Food and Rural Affairs has been contacted for comment.
