Latest news with #CylchMeithrin
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Welsh playgroup in an estate 'with no speakers'
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. Most lessons in English to be phased out in Welsh county Concerns some Welsh-language nurseries could close My town, where community spirit makes leaving hard 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." What help is there with childcare costs in Wales? Sign gaffe describes school as place with 'angry look' Parents won't be asked why they chose Welsh language
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
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 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 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 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 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 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."
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Mudiad Meithrin: Concerns some Welsh-language nurseries could close
There are concerns that some Welsh-language nurseries could face closure if more demands in the childcare sector fall on the shoulders of fewer present, hundreds of Cylch Meithrin nurseries across Wales are run by volunteer committees who are part of the Mudiad Meithrin with increased financial, safeguarding and staffing demands, many volunteers have said the current arrangements are not fit for Meithrin have said its options were limited, since each Cylch was an independent charity. The chief executive added that they "don't have a magic wand to fix things overnight", but that they had not seen evidence of a reduction in Meithrin Cilfynydd in Pontypridd opened following efforts by local parents, who were concerned about the effect closing Ysgol Pont Sion Norton would have on Welsh-medium education in the a few years, however, the Cylch had closed."There were three of us volunteers, without expertise in childcare," said Lowri Real, the Cylch's former secretary."Finding a site was one challenge, staffing was a huge challenge, and trying to ensure that the business was sustainable."But unfortunately, with staffing and site costs it was just impossible to run it viably. The three of us were essentially running a business on goodwill alone."They were encouraged by the Mudiad Meithrin to apply for grants from the Flying Start scheme, but that would have meant offering more childcare hours and so more admin work."That was beyond our means as a small committee," said Ms added that it was frustrating not to be able to continue with what they had been offering."If we don't look again at the system, I worry about small communities like this who will lose the language," she said."We need to come round the table and look at this, because the system isn't working and isn't sustainable."I wouldn't be encouraging anyone to open a Cylch Meithrin, because it has been heartbreakingly difficult." Two years ago, Cylch Meithrin Pontrhydfendigaid in Ceredigion was recognised as the top nursery in Mudiad Meithrin's annual maintaining that high standard was a challenge said Gwawr Evans, chair for the past five years."It's a lot more work than I'd thought," said the mother of four, who also runs a business."It's been an eye-opener seeing how much the committee does for the Cylch."The Cylch had secured grants to pay for a staff member to do admin work, but Ms Evans said more practical help from Mudiad Meithrin would be welcome."The Mudiad does great work, but more help for committees to deal with reports and staff assessments would certainly be welcome."She was worried that fewer people would want to volunteer in the future."I think it would be a challenge to find anyone willing to take over as chair, treasurer, secretary."No one wants to do it because they see how much work it takes."People have so much more going on with children, work, looking after the house."I'm worried about the nurseries' futures, and how they're going to be run, if more people aren't coming through." 'Parents want more childcare provision, not less' Mudiad Meithrin's chief executive Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies said she was aware of the pressures on volunteer committees, given the high standards of the childcare Meithrin will now review the voluntary committee model to see whether there were other alternatives."The advantage of a volunteer model is that the Cylch belongs to the community," she said."But of course, as childcare demands become ever more complex, the demands on committees also increases."We have a responsibility as Mudiad to take stock of that, and think what can we do differently, while accepting that we don't have a magic wand that can fix things overnight." Mudiad Meithrin said it was always looking for ways to relieve pressure on volunteer added that although it was impractical for all nurseries to be part of the Flying Start scheme, many parents were now looking for all-day childcare rather than a few mornings a number of Cylchoedd Meithrin providing Flying Start has more than doubled to 44% over the last three years."Communities and parents on the whole want more childcare provision, not less," said Dr Davies."The concern is if it's not being provided in Welsh, that we'll lose children from the Welsh-medium sector to the English-medium sector."Although Mudiad will look at alternative models, Dr Davies said there was no evidence so far that workload concerns were putting people off joining committees, or setting up new Cylchoedd Meithrin."We have more individuals volunteering on the committees this year than last year, but that doesn't mean we aren't aware of the pressures on them," said Dr Davies."The important thing is that we work in partnership with our 1,200 volunteers and say, if there's something we can do differently or better, thrn we should do that together."
