Children jumping off a SUP into the lake in Glan-llyn

1990s-2000s

Magazines

The Urdd has three popular children magazines. Cip has news, posters, competitions and puzzles for Welsh speakers under 12 years of ages. Bore Da is for Welsh learners in key stages 1 and 2 of the National Curriculum and iaw! is for secondary Welsh learners. A teachers leaflet is produced alongside Bore Da and iaw! to promote the use of the magazines in the classroom, and ten editions of each magazines are published annually.

In 1995 a designer was appointed to work on the magazines and the image and format of the magazines were modernised, making them more attractive to children today. All kinds of activities are organised in schools, two joke books were published and by 2002 the magazines had their own website.

Residential centres

At Glan-llyn in 1995 the ‘Plas’ opened officially by Bryn Terfel and has en-suite rooms, lounges and classrooms. The centre now offers en-suite accommodation for over 200 people. Over the following years, the roller-skating hall, the swimming pool and the sports hall were refurbished, and new staff specializing in outdoor activities such as climbing and white-water rafting came to Glan-llyn. Radio Cymru held discos with new lights and disco equipment.

The developments at the residential centre at Llangrannog are just as exciting. During the Urdd Eisteddfod week at Bro’r Preseli in 1995 families of competitors stayed at the centre, as well as the competitors of the Celtic countries’ cross country competition. From then on family holidays became popular and people of all ages come to stay at the centre to socialise and to enjoy the various activities. The activities changed and developed as well. At the end of the 1990s the rope course and toboggans were introduced and the roller-skating hall was improved.

In 1995, for example, the Urdd worked closely with Unicef to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the League of Nations. Most of the work was done in Mali, and £100,000 was raised to promote Unicef’s work there. Sul yr Urdd continues as well. A different school is responsible for announcing the Goodwill message every year.

Jamberee

In 1997, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Urdd a big jamboree was held in Cardiff with 10,000 Urdd members on a procession through the streets of Cardiff. 1997 was an important year for the Urdd as the movement was celebrating 75 years since Sir Ifan ab Owen Edward’s vision was announced in 1922. To note the occasion a concert was organised at the Corwen Pavilion with performances by the Aelwydydd choir, and stars such as Bryn Terfel, Nerys Richards, Bethan Dudley and Daniel Evans.

A large Jamboree with 10,000 Urdd members was organised in Cardiff and as the thousands marched through the streets of Cardiff the red, white and green flags was the only thing in sight!

Developments

All sorts of developments and modern technology enabled the Eisteddfod to give children and young people and their families a memorable experience. There has been an increase in the establishments and companies represented on the eisteddfod field and the number of stalls are also increasing. The Eisteddfod has ventured to all areas of Wales to promote Welsh culture and language, and to encourage children and young people from all backgrounds to join in the competing and activities. In 1997 the Eisteddfod came for the first time to Gwent.

The Urdd’s sport provision is going from strength to strength. It includes competitions, training courses, and National Galas for all ages. In 1997 10,000 members took part in the Urdd’s Sports. Four National Sport festivals are held every year as well as two swimming galas and two athletics festivals. The Urdd started working with Sport Council Wales during the National Urdd Eisteddfod in 1999.

New ground was broken when the Eisteddfod came to Lampeter and a film was produced instead of a musical performance by the young people of the area. The number of visitors to the Eisteddfod field increased to 100,000 on many occasions and bands such as Big Leaves, Eden, Diffiniad, and the Super Furry Animals attracted the crowds.

2000s

At that time plans were being made to start developing the Sports Hall, new accommodation for 150 people and a Heritage Centre; a project costing nearly £4 million. By 2004 the centre at Llangrannog had lots of new facilities. A new car park was created, new bedrooms – 34 of them en-suite – a Leisure Centre and an all weather sports pitch.

Alun Pugh AM opened the new developments. The residential centre promotes sports and a summer school was started with 170 attending the first course. The farm buildings have now been converted to a brand new Heritage Centre.

2001

in 2001 the Eisteddfod was cancelled as a result of the Foot and Mouth disease. Gwyl yr Urdd was held and two centres were organised, one in the North and one in the South; both joining to compete and celebrate. The Urdd pioneered in web broadcasting and viewers across the world had the chance to watch the Eisteddfod live on the internet.

In 2001 five sports officers were appointed to ensure that the sports provision was of the highest standard possible. During the last few year the National Rugby Competition was held for the first time in Llanelli with 108 teams taking part from across Wales, and the final matches were played on Stradey Park. By 2003 the rugby festival had extended to two days at Llanelli, and in 2004 135 teams participated in the competition.

2002

In 2002 the Urdd Peace and Goodwill Message was read by four pupils from Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy in the European Parliament to 626 members of the European Day of Goodwill. In 2006 the message was read in Parliament in front of the Prime Minister, Rhodri Morgan, along with leaders other countries and in 2005 the message came from Treorchy Comprehensive School, the first second language Welsh school to prepare the message.

2003

We saw another great Jamboree in 2003 in Margam Park with 2,000 children in attendance. At the beginning of the new millennium Mistar Urdd went on a tour of primary schools and departments, and visited 607 schools across Wales. Hei Mistar Urdd ( Mistar Urdd’s song) continues to be as popular as ever and the song was re-recorded in 2002 by the pop group CIC as a vehicle to re-ignite the Urdd following the foot and mouth crisis.

Conclusion

Wrth i’r niferoedd a oedd yn mynychu Glan-llyn gynyddu o hyd, yn enwedig y gwersyllwyr hyn, aethpwyd ati i drefnu bod Canolfan Groeso a oedd yn cynnwys derbynfa, swyddfeydd newydd, theatr ddarlithio, ac ystafelloedd cysgu yn cael eu hadeiladu. Ailwampiwyd y Ganolfan Bowlio 10 gyda pheiriannau a sgriniau newydd, a pha ffordd well o ddangos y ddarpariaeth wych i’r byd na chael cyfres ‘pry ar y wal’ yn ffilmio popeth a oedd yn mynd ymlaen yn y Gwersyll? Agorwyd y Ganolfan Groeso newydd yn 2003 ac yn yr un flwyddyn penodwyd Swyddog Iaith, a chynhaliwyd cyrsiau sgiliau allweddol i ddisgyblion ysgolion uwchradd. Y datblygiad diweddaraf cyffrous yn y Gwersyll yw’r Cwrs Rhaffau uchel sydd wrth fodd y gwersyllwyr a’r staff! Mae cynlluniau ar y gweill i greu llwybrau beiciau a llwybrau troed diogel o’r Gwersyll i Lanuwchllyn.

Datblygiad mawr yn 2004 oedd Gwersyll yr Urdd Caerdydd. Mae’r Gwersyll newydd wedi ei leoli yng Nghanolfan Mileniwm Cymru ym Mae Caerdydd. Mae lle i 150 i gysgu yno mewn ystafelloedd en suite ac mae yno theatr, lolfa, dwy ystafell ddosbarth, neuadd fwyta, a swyddfeydd i staff. Agorwyd y Gwersyll yn Nhachwedd 2004. Mae’r Gwersyll yn cynnig profiadau celfyddydol unigryw a chyfle i aelodau’r Urdd ymweld â holl atyniadau prifddinas Cymru – Stadiwm y Mileniwm, y Cynulliad, Techniquest, Sain Ffagan, Pwll Mawr, Castell Coch, Castell Caerdydd a mwy… mynd i weld sioe, gêm bêl-droed, criced, rygbi, hoci iâ neu fynd i weld ffilm neu i fowlio 10.

Yn 2005, am y tro cyntaf daeth yr Eisteddfod i Ganolfan Mileniwm Cymru a llwyfannwyd sioe Les Miserables gan Gwmni Theatr Ieuenctid Genedlaethol Cymru. Ers hynny mae Cwmni Theatr yr Urdd wedi cael ei ailsefydlu ac yn mynd o nerth i nerth.

Mae’r Urdd yn rhan o gynllun Bardd Plant Cymru, gyda S4C, Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru a’r Academi yn bartneriaid. Mae beirdd adnabyddus fel Mei Mac, Ceri Wyn Jones, Tudur Dylan Jones a Mererid Hopwood wedi gwisgo mantell Bardd Plant Cymru, ac yn 2006-2007 penodwyd y Bardd Plant ieuengaf erioed, Gwyneth Glyn. Bwriad y cynllun yw hybu barddoniaeth Gymraeg ymysg ein hieuenctid, a hynny’n bennaf drwy gyfrwng ymweliadau a gweithdai.

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