Games and Sports

Over 4000 children and young people went to Llanelli in 1932 to take part in the Urdd’s first national sports festival. The sport agenda has grown immensely since then. There are national sport festivals, two national swimming galas, rugby, football and athletics competitions and much, much more.

Adventure on Land and Sea

In August 1933, the Urdd organized its first cruise to Scandanavia on the ship ‘Orduna’. 500 young people took part in this expedition. The cruises came to an end when the World War started but since then the Urdd has led the way in the field of adventure for young people.

The Urdd National Eisteddfod

The first Urdd National Eisteddfod was held at Corwen in 1929 at the bidding of one of the town’s ministers, T. Arthur Jones.

The Eisteddfod is now one of the Urdd’s most important events and is the largest youth festival of its type in Europe. Over 15,000 competitors take part – often fervently supported by their parents and teachers – and 460 competitions are held.

In 2006 the Urdd National Eisteddfod is being held in Denbighshire between 29 May and 3 June. Viewers will be able to enjoy the festival on S4C and S4C digital. Go to the www.learnons4c.co.uk home for details.

The First Welsh School in Modern Times

In 1939, Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards established the first modern Welsh language primary school in Aberystwyth. The seven pupils who first enrolled were evacuees and they were taught by Norah Isaac. By 1945 Ysgol Lluest as it was then called, had attracted 81 children and there were four teachers on the staff. Aberystwyth’s success was contagious and there were soon clamours for Welsh language schools in other parts of Wales. The first Welsh school established by a Local Education Authority was at Llanelli in 1947.

The Urdd Residential Centres

The first Urdd camp was held in 1928 in Llanuwchllyn, the home of Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards, the founder. This was a tented camp for 100 boys.

The camps became very popular and in 1932 the Urdd was given land for a permanent site in Llangrannog. Camps were also organized in Porthdinllaen near Nefyn in north-west Wales.

For some years, boys and girls would camp at Llangrannog and Porthdinllaen in alternate years – but would never be allowed to stay in the same place at the same time.

In 1950 Glanllyn on the banks of Bala Lake was acquired from the Treasury and another permanent camp was established. There is now also a residential centre in Cardiff Bay and a smaller centre in west Wales. Between them, the centres offer unique experiences for over 30,000 children and young people each year.

The Urdd Gobaith Cymru Good Will Message

In 1918, the League of Nations was established to ensure co-operation between the nations of the world. In Wales, the industrialist David Davies, Llandinam, who built the docks at Barry, funded the establishment of a Welsh branch with a director. He later also paid for the Temple of Peace in Cardiff. The first director was Rev. Gwilym Davies. It was he who sent out the first Good Will Message from the children of Wales to the children of the world in Morse code in 1922.

Yn 1925, the Urdd became partners in this scheme and since then a good will message has been sent every year on 18 May.