Community Foundation Wales

✍️What happens when young people are given the opportunity to tell their stories?✍️

Recently, we received an update from Gŵyl Daniel Owen Festival, who received £3,000 over a 3-year period from the Flintshire Community Endowment Fund to support young people across Flintshire.

Over the past year, the festival delivered six creative writing workshops across six secondary schools, engaging more than 160 students and their teachers 📝

The first four workshops focused on the theme of "walking", inspired by advice given by the renowned Welsh novelist Daniel Owen to a friend experiencing poor health:

"Walk, Walk, Walk!" 🚶‍➡️

Students were encouraged to spend time outdoors, observe the world around them and reflect on the connections between exercise, wellbeing and resilience 🌍

They held a writing competition, which attracted 84 entries across both Welsh and English, with shortlisted young writers invited to read their work at a special prize-giving event celebrating their creativity and achievements 🎨

The impact extends far beyond writing skills. The workshops encouraged young people to express themselves, build confidence and reflect on issues that matter to them. For some, sharing their work publicly was a significant achievement in itself.

This is proof of the long-term impact that local giving has on communities and young people, who have gained confidence and public-speaking skills which will support them throughout their lives 🗣️

A huge thank you to Gŵyl Daniel Owen Festival for nurturing young talent and helping ensure creativity continues to thrive across Flintshire.

°°°°

✍️ Beth sy’n digwydd pan gaiff pobl ifanc gyfle i adrodd eu straeon? ✍️

Yn ddiweddar, cawsom ddiweddariad gan Ŵyl Daniel Owen, a dderbyniodd £3,000 dros gyfnod o dair blynedd gan Gronfa Waddol Cymunedol Sir y Fflint i gefnogi pobl ifanc ledled Sir y Fflint.

Dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, cynhaliodd yr ŵyl chwe gweithdy ysgrifennu creadigol mewn chwe ysgol uwchradd, gan ymgysylltu â mwy na 160 o ddisgyblion a’u hathrawon 📝

Canolbwyntiodd y pedwar gweithdy cyntaf ar y thema “cerdded”, wedi’u hysbrydoli gan gyngor a roddwyd gan y nofelydd Cymreig enwog Daniel Owen i gyfaill a oedd yn dioddef iechyd gwael:

“Cerdda, Cerdda, Cerdda!” 🚶‍➡️

Anogwyd y disgyblion i dreulio amser yn yr awyr agored, arsylwi’r byd o’u cwmpas a myfyrio ar y cysylltiadau rhwng ymarfer corff, llesiant a gwydnwch 🌍

Cynhaliwyd cystadleuaeth ysgrifennu gan ddenu 84 o geisiadau yng Nghymraeg ac yn Saesneg, gyda’r awduron ifanc ar y rhestr fer yn cael eu gwahodd i ddarllen eu gwaith mewn digwyddiad gwobrwyo arbennig, oedd yn dathlu eu creadigrwydd a’u llwyddiannau 🎨

Mae’r effaith yn ymestyn ymhell y tu hwnt i sgiliau ysgrifennu. Roedd y gweithdai’n annog pobl ifanc i fynegi eu hunain, magu hyder a myfyrio ar faterion sy’n bwysig iddynt. I rai, roedd rhannu eu gwaith yn gyhoeddus yn gyflawniad arwyddocaol ynddo’i hun.

Mae hyn yn enghraifft o’r effaith hirdymor y gall helioni lleol ei chael ar gymunedau a phobl ifanc, sydd wedi datblygu hyder a sgiliau siarad cyhoeddus a fydd yn eu cefnogi drwy eu bywydau 🗣️

Diolch yn fawr i Ŵyl Daniel Owen am feithrin talent ifanc a helpu i sicrhau bod creadigrwydd yn parhau i ffynnu ledled Sir y Fflint.

For this week’s story from the community, we’re sharing an update from The Heritage Crafts Association, who received a large multi-year grant from the Ashley Family Foundation to support 3 young people with training bursaries focused on traditional heritage crafts 🎨

They’ve supported Emily from Llanfairfechan in millinery, Rae from Abergavenny in woodworking and timber conservation, and Dai from Beaumaris in blacksmithing – all pictured below!

The funding was able to provide qualifications and fund mentorship opportunities from leading practitioners, for those from marginalised backgrounds who may not have had the opportunities otherwise 🫶

The funding has not only supported individuals but has also substantially strengthened wider communities and professional networks.

Rae founded The Woodworkers Alliance, creating a network that connects historically excluded emerging makers with skilled mentors, ensuring that heritage skills are immediately disseminated to a broader community 🤝

Meanwhile, Dai’s professional growth directly impacts his local community – his long-term ambition is to use his new casting skills to restore the ironwork near his local UNESCO World Heritage Site and to teach blacksmithing at his local college 🧑‍🏫

By supporting these specific individuals, the Ashley Family Foundation is not only safeguarding at-risk heritage craft skills but creating active ambassadors who are dedicated to training, mentoring and inspiring the next generation of Welsh artisans 🖼️

°°°°

Ar gyfer stori o’r gymuned yr wythnos hon, rydym yn rhannu diweddariad gan The Heritage Crafts Association, a dderbyniodd grant aml-flwyddyn sylweddol gan Ashley Family Foundation i gefnogi tri pherson ifanc gyda bwrsariaethau hyfforddi sy’n canolbwyntio ar grefftau treftadaeth traddodiadol 🎨

Maent wedi cefnogi Emily o Lanfairfechan mewn melino hetiau, Rae o’r Fenni mewn gwaith coed a chadwraeth pren, a Dai o Fiwmares mewn gwaith gof – llun o bob un isod!

Mae’r cyllid wedi sicrhau bod gan bobl y cyfle i dderbyn cymwysterau a chyfleodd mentora gan ymarferwyr blaenllaw – i bobl o gefndiroedd lleiafrifol, fydd efallai wedi colli allan ar gyfleoedd fel arall 🫶

Nid yn unig mae’r cyllid wedi cefnogi unigolion, ond mae hefyd wedi cryfhau cymunedau ehangach a rhwydweithiau proffesiynol yn sylweddol.

Sefydlodd Rae, The Woodworkers Alliance, gan greu rhwydwaith sy’n cysylltu gwneuthurwyr newydd sydd ar wahân yn hanesyddol, gyda mentoriaid medrus – gan sicrhau bod sgiliau treftadaeth yn cael eu rhannu’n uniongyrchol gyda’r gymuned ehangach 🤝

Yn y cyfamser, mae datblygiad proffesiynol Dai yn cael effaith uniongyrchol ar ei gymuned leol – ei uchelgais hirdymor yw defnyddio ei sgiliau castio newydd i adfer y gwaith haearn ger Safle Treftadaeth y Byd UNESCO lleol, ac i ddysgu gwaith gof yn ei goleg lleol 🧑‍🏫

Drwy gefnogi’r unigolion hyn yn benodol, mae Ashley Family Foundation nid yn unig yn diogelu sgiliau crefft treftadaeth sydd mewn perygl, ond hefyd yn creu llysgenhadon gweithredol sydd wedi ymrwymo i hyfforddi, mentora ac ysbrydoli’r genhedlaeth nesaf o grefftwyr Cymreig 🖼️