Mistar Urdd makes it into the House of Commons

Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts has tabled a motion to celebrate the centenary of Wales’ most celebrated youth organisation and formally recognise it in the House of Commons

Fellow MPs Ben Lake and Hywel Williams from Plaid Cymru, and Independent Jonathan Edwards supported the motion

This year marks one hundred years since Urdd Gobaith Cymru was founded by Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards with the aim of protecting and promoting the Welsh language.

Commenting on the anniversary, lead signatory Liz Saville Roberts MP said: “I am delighted to table this Parliamentary Motion in recognition of the huge contribution the Urdd has made to Welsh life, in particular the safeguarding of our language and the opportunities it has afforded thousands of young people.

“The Urdd is Wales’s largest organisation for children and young people with more than 55,000 members. It has brought the Welsh language alive and provided access to important experiences for millions of children and young people through the Urdd Eisteddfod, sports, its residential centres and community and charitable work.

“It should be particularly commended for its commitment to supporting children and young people from low-income households by offering this year’s membership at a reduced rate.

“We should all recognise the impact the Covid pandemic has had on the organisation, and it is important that all of us who holds the Welsh language dear support the Urdd to rebuild which will be instrumental in achieving the Welsh Government’s target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

“I wish the organisation all the very best for the future.”

World record attempt

The organisation is inviting people from across Wales to join in celebrations on the 25 January, by attempting to gain two Guinness World Records™ titles.

The organisation is encouraging people to video themselves singing the iconic song ‘Hei Mistar Urdd’ and upload the results to Twitter and Facebook between 10.45am and 11.45am on the day.

Using the hashtag #YmgaisRecordBydYrUrdd it wants people to wear red, white and green, fly the Urdd’s flag or arrange get-togethers like a coffee morning in a bid to smash the current Facebook record of 418 and the Twitter record of 250.

Step by step instructions, audio files, lyrics and a karaoke version of the song can be found here along with other ideas and resources to help everyone who wants to join in.

People wanting to join the celebrations on Tuesday 25 can register here to join the Birthday Party live on Zoom, which will be broadcast live from 10.30am on BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio Wales, in the company of Stwnsh Sadwrn presenters, and the world record attempts will be kicking off at 10.45am.

This month also sees the launch of a school tour of a show called Canrif Syr Ifan / Sir Ifan’s Century, by the company Mewn Cymeriad / In Character. which is appropriate for key stage 2 children.

Additionally, a selection of education resources for schools about the Urdd’s work will be available on the HWB website from January 2022.