Urdd Gobaith Cymru Annual Review 2005 / 2006 1 Urdd Gobaith Cymru Annual Review 2005 / 2006 2 urdd.org A message from our President - Gavin Ashcroft Words cannot express my pride at being elected as President of the Urdd 2005-2006. I never thought the little boy from Rhydyfelin would one day be the President of this organisation! This year has been an eye opener for I would like to take this opportunity to me. As a keen eisteddfodwr over the publicly thank the Urdd for this opportunity, years, it is easy to forgive someone for and I would also like to give thanks on not seeing beyond the maes and the behalf of the children and young people of pavilion. Indeed, I was amazed during Wales who benefit daily from the untiring the year by all the outstanding work that commitment of the organisation and its this special organisation carries out, be friends. To the future! it humanitarian or patriotic, and for that I have great respect for it. As President, I have many fond memories. Indeed, the Denbighshire Eisteddfod of 2006 and its magnificent location will stay in my mind and heart for ever. Urdd Gobaith Cymru Officers 2006 President: Gavin Ashcroft Vice-presidents: Andrea Parry, Carol Davies Honorary Presidents: Prys Edwards, Wynne Melville Jones, Bob Roberts Interesting Statistics Honorary Vice-presidents: Eurig Davies, Alun Edwards, Janet Evans • Wales’ main youth movement Chairperson: Rhiannon Lewis • Membership of 50,334 and an increase of 10% in the 16-25 age group this year Vice-chair: Tudur Dylan Jones • 1 of every 3 Welsh speakers aged between 8-18 are members Treasurer: Rheon Tomos • 25% of all children aged 10 in Wales are members Secretary: Andrea Parry • Wales’ foremost sports provider – 250,000 sports sessions a year and 60 referees working in the National Rugby Festival • 94,000 Welsh language magazines sold annually • 180 members of staff and an annual financial turnover of £6 million • 10,000 volunteers in 950 branches • Over 930,000 visits to our website design elfen.co.uk It is a great pleasure to submit this review. In all of our activities, It is hard to believe that another year has flown by since our main aim is to give the children and young people of Wales submitting the last annual review. It is a sign of old age (so the opportunity to enjoy life through the medium of Welsh, they say) when time seems to pass you by more quickly than developing confidence and respect for each other. before! The Urdd, like all of us, is getting older, but it is certainly not getting old. This report shows that Urdd Gobaith Cymru is It is fantastic to look back at the Urdd’s successes over the past as young and fresh as ever, attracting more and more children twelve months, including holding the eisteddfod in a magnificent and young people to the various activities. Certainly, one of the location in Denbighshire, developing facilities including a high big secrets of the Urdd’s success over the years is listening to ropes course at Glan-llyn, increasing the range and quality of the members and working with them in order to ensure that the community activities we offer, and continuing our tradition of what we provide is relevant to their lives. It is good to hear enabling the Urdd’s members to experience humanitarian work about the new adrannau (junior youth clubs) and aelwydydd overseas, including forging new links with Romania. (senior youth clubs) and the youth forums that meet in a number of regions, that are not only important with regard Urdd Gobaith Cymru Without doubt, one of the highlights of our foreign adventures to the organisation’s activities, but also with regard to the last year was winning the under-19 seven-a-side rugby development of members and ensuring future leaders. Officers 2006 tournament in Dubai – quite an achievement for the enthusiastic team, and a sign of our development as providers Since it is now autumn, it is good to have the opportunity to of sporting opportunities and training. Our advances in the look back at the successful eisteddfod in Denbighshire, and field of sport, and the further development of our arts provision, remember not only the hot weather but also the warmth of the demonstrate that we are an organisation that makes an welcome, the excellent arrangements and the amazing standard important contribution to the cultural life of Wales. of the competitions. The sports activities organised throughout Wales attract more competitors than ever, and the residential In submitting the review, it is my privilege to thank the Urdd centres still draw tens of thousands of visitors every year. volunteers and staff throughout Wales, who have ensured that the work we do is exciting and can enrich the lives of children Once again this year members carried out humanitarian and young people who value the Welsh language. Long may it activities locally and also on the continent, but certainly one of – and the Urdd – continue to thrive. the highlights of the year for me personally was being present at the Senedd as members of Urdd Gobaith Cymru presented Efa Gruffudd Jones the Peace and Goodwill Message on behalf of the youth of Chief Executive Wales, not only to Assembly members but also to the youth of the world. Urdd Gobaith Cymru as an organisation is very important, not only to the over 50,000 members but to the whole of Wales. It is an organisation that makes a difference and one that should be treasured. It is not growing old – but learning from experience, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Llanbadarn Road developing and maturing. May it continue to do so. Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 1EY Rhiannon Lewis Telephone: 01970 613100 Chairperson E-mail: [email protected] Website: urdd.org Registered Charity Number: 524481 design elfen.co.uk Company Number: 263310 4 urdd.org • Services were provided to 50,334 • With funding from Children in • Five of our Urddaholics went members by our development Need we continued to support on a special trip to Auschwitz. officers, our assistant development young people who are in danger In January they prepared and officers and our sports officers in of being excluded from schools performed a piece in the grand over 950 adrannau and aelwydydd in Gwynedd and Anglesey by Remembrance concert held in the (Junior and Senior Urdd Clubs). offering a programme of outdoor Wales Millennium Centre in front of activities and opportunities to leaders from Britain and beyond. • There was an increase in our gain qualifications. provision for the 12-15 age group, • Over 1,000 members went on and new community adrannau • The Peace and Goodwill Message residential trips in Wales and were established in twelve regions. was composed and presented abroad during the year. this year by pupils of Ysgol Maes • The Bendigeidfran exchange Garmon, Mold, and they had the • Forty five Urddaholics succeeded programme proved popular opportunity to present it to the First in completing the Millennium amongst Urdd and Ogras Minister in the Senedd. Volunteers scheme by completing members with more than a over a hundred hours of voluntary hundred young people benefiting • Over a hundred of our members work in the community. from training and opportunities to performed in the gallery of the socialise in Wales and Ireland. Assembly on the opening day of • Over 165 leisure activities for young the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on people were held during the • Three Urddaholics trips to Poland St David’s Day. summer holidays. and Romania to support and assist disadvantaged children were • We collaborated with many all successful. other bodies such as the Welsh Language Board, Mentrau Iaith (Welsh Language Initiatives), BBC Cymru and S4C. Urdd Gobaith Cymru Annual Review 2005 / 2006 5 • Regional sports competitions and • The golf scheme which coaches Contact Sport Festivals were held in Cardiff, young people in the Llanelli, Aman Dyfrig Morgan Aberystwyth, Bangor and Llanelli. Valley and Gwendraeth Valley area Director of South Wales Region to take part in golf sessions as well Telephone: 029 2063 5682 • 136 teams competed in the as developing new coaches, won E-mail: [email protected] National Secondary Rugby Festival the prestigious Critchley Award in Llanelli, and 121 teams competed from the British Golf Foundation Dafydd Carrington in the National Netball Festival for the organisation’s contribution Director of Mid Wales Region in Cardiff. to developing golf as a sport for Phone: 01686 614036 children and young people. E-mail: [email protected] • The Urdd’s rugby team succeeded in winning the I.R.B.’s International • Six sports courses were held at the Mari Pritchard Youth Sevens Tournament in Dubai. Urdd residential centres. Director of North Wales Region Phone: 01248 672106 • For the first time the Urdd’s • Twenty four new clubs have been E-mail: [email protected] National Swimming Gala was held established to provide sports in the Olympic Pool in Swansea. It coaching to volunteers. Website: urdd.org was attended by an audience of 1,400 and 986 competitors • An exhibition and discussion session was held with Lord • For the first time, the Urdd’s Sebastian Coe regarding the National Aquathlon competition organisation’s role in the activities was held in Aberystwyth, with 400 leading up to and during the 2012 athletes taking part. Olympic and Paralympic games. • Over 100 new sports leaders were trained during the year. Residential Centres Gwersyll yr Urdd Llangrannog Gwersyll yr Urdd Llangrannog • In another successful year 51,159 • Pentre Ifan, in a magical corner of Gwersyll yr Urdd have stayed in the centre for a day.