Urdd Gobaith Cymru

Urdd Gobaith Cymru

Centenary Urdd Logo with traditional white, red and green colours in a triangle.
Formation	25 January 1922
Founder	Ifan ab Owen Edwards
Headquarters	Gwersyll yr Urdd Glan-llyn
Location	Wales
Membership (2021)	55,000
Official language	Welsh
Chief Executive	Sian Lewis
Mascot	Mistar Urdd
Young Trustees	Emily Pemberton, Deio Siôn Llewelyn Owen
Staff (2024)	390
Volunteers (2024)	10,000
Website	Official website

Urdd Gobaith Cymru (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɨrð ˈɡɔbaɪθ ˈkəmrɨ]; known as the Urdd) is a national voluntary youth organisation, which claimed over 56,000 members in 2019^[1] aged between 8 and 25. It provides opportunities for children and young people across Wales to take part in a range of experiences through the medium of Welsh.^[2] The Urdd turned 100 on 25 January 2022 and celebrated by breaking two Guinness World Records.^[3]

The Urdd also has four residential centres for children and young people across Wales.

The main aim is to ensure that all young people in Wales are given the opportunity, through the medium of Welsh, to play a constructive role in the community, developing personal and social skills. To date, 4 million children and young people have engaged with the Urdd in one form or another.

The Urdd National Eisteddfod (Welsh: Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Urdd Gobaith Cymru or Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Urdd) is an annual Welsh-language youth festival of literature, music and performing arts organised by Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Arguably Europe's largest youth festival,^[4] it is usually held during the last week of May, coinciding with schools' half-term holidays.

The Urdd contributed £44.9 million to the Welsh economy in 2022-23 according to an independent report by Arad Research in December 2023. In 5 years, the Urdd’s economic worth has increased from £25.5 million to £44.9 million (an increase of 76%) and the organisation’s turnover has increased from £10.2 million to £19.6 million (88%). ^[5]

Urdd Gobaith Cymru (or 'Urdd Gobaith Cymru Fach') was established by Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards in 1922.^[6] His aim was to protect the Welsh language in a world where the English language dominated every aspect of life outside the home and the chapel. In an issue of the magazine ‘Cymru’r Plant’ in 1922 Sir Ifan said, "These days, in many villages, and in most towns in Wales, children play and read in English. They forget that they are Welsh."

He appealed to the children of Wales to join a new organisation that offered opportunities through the medium of Welsh, and as a result, Urdd Gobaith Cymru was established.

Nearly a century later, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, the main youth organisation in Wales, has over 56,000 members, belonging to over 900 branches who take part in a wide range of activities. The work is carried out with the help of 260 staff and 10,000 volunteers. The Chief Executive appointed in 2015 to take the movement forward to the 2022 centenary left in 2017 after Trustees took action following the expression of a lack of faith in her ability by staff.^[7] The current Chief Executive of Urdd Gobaith Cymru is Sian Lewis.

It had to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic as an organisation that thrives over face to face activities like sporting and cultural events. It had estimated that due to the pandemic it would make a £3.8 million loss and an overall £14m reduction in income. It had to cut jobs in the organisation by half, over 160.^[8][9]

Mistar Urdd (Mr Urdd) is the Urdd mascot, based on the Urdd Gobaith Cymru logo and badge. Mistar Urdd has his own song 'Hey Mistar Urdd'.^[10]

On 25 January 2022, the date that the organisation celebrated its 100th birthday, it broke two Guinness World Records for the most videos uploaded to Twitter and Facebook of people singing the same song in an hour.^[3]

The Urdd National Eisteddfod (Welsh: Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Urdd Gobaith Cymru or Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Urdd) is an annual Welsh-language youth festival of literature, music and performing arts organised by Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Arguably Europe's largest youth festival, it is usually held during the last week of May, coinciding with schools' half term holiday. The location is decided a few years beforehand and alternates between North and South Wales.

The Eisteddfod consists of competitive singing, recitation, art, composition, dance and instrumental events for contestants aged between 7 and 25 years. Regional qualifying heats are held in advance around Wales.

In 2019, the Eisteddfod yr Urdd was held in Cardiff Bay. In 2020 and 2021, it was planned to be held in Denbigh and Llandovery respectively, but these were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead an online event was held called 'Eisteddfod T'. Free entry was announced for the Denbigh Eisteddfod in 2022 following confirmation of £527,000 funding from the Welsh Government.^{[clarification needed][11]} In 2023 the Eisteddfod was held in Carmarthenshire and the 2024 Eisteddfod in Meifod, Powys attracted a record-breaking 100,454 registrations to compete.^[12]

The Urdd’s Sports Department offers a range of specialist provisions to the youth of Wales and has developed into one of the main providers of sport through the medium of Welsh. The department provides opportunities across Wales for every child and young person to embrace sport, through clubs, competitions, training, and regional and national sports festivals.

The Sports Department now employs 45 staff and trains over 1,000 volunteers annually. This has enabled the organisation to offer regular activities for children and young people across the country, from 250 weekly sports clubs (3,500 youngsters attending) to nearly 200 competitions for 44,000 competitors.^[13] 7,000 youngsters were welcomed to compete in the fully inclusive Urdd WRU rugby 7’s tournament in Cardiff in April 2024 - the largest rugby competition of its kind in Wales.

Every year almost 103,000 visitors and over 850 primary and secondary schools in Wales attend the Urdd’s residential centres. ^[14] 2019 marked the beginning of a £11million capital project to expand and develop the Urdd's residential centres. The investment supports the Urdd's vision to offer pioneering, modern centres to increase the organisation's wellbeing and outdoor learning opportunities for children, young people and schools across Wales.^[15]

The Urdd offers residential experiences through its 4 residential centres:

• Gwersyll Llangrannog [cy], Ceredigion, providing recreational activities, including horse riding and skiing
  (Gwersyll = "camp")
• Gwersyll Glan-llyn [cy], near Bala, Gwynedd, offering water sports
• Gwersyll Caerdydd located in Cardiff Bay
• Pentre Ifan, Pembrokeshire, a centre for environmental and wellbeing experiences

Every year since 1922, the children and young people of Wales have written and sent a Message of Peace and Goodwill to the children and young people of the world on Goodwill Day, 18 May.^[16]

Since 1955, Urdd Gobaith Cymru has been responsible for arranging for the message to be written and shared each year

• Official website in English
• Official website in Welsh