Sales surge for Welsh language toy firm during pandemic home schooling

A Welsh language toy firm saw a surge in sales when children were being home schooled during the pandemic.

Mwnci, which designs a line of eco-friendly, Welsh language toys and resources, has seen a 250% increase in sales as over the last year, as Welsh and non-Welsh speaking households looked for educational resources.

The company was launched in 2019 by professional singer and former member of Only Men Aloud, Aled Powys Williams and his wife Liz, who say they were inspired by their young children.

They believe in the value of incorporating the Welsh language into their children’s playtime, as well as the advantages of bilingualism in the family.

The couple say they were surprised and disheartened to discover that tactile, educational products in Welsh were scarce and as a result, they developed a line of eco-friendly toys and resources.

Company Director, Aled Powys Williams said: “During the first lockdown our business was fortunate enough to benefit from the introduction of home schooling, and because our toys have an education element, they were just the resource parents needed.”

He says he had more time to dedicated to the venture after the entertainment industry was hammered by the Covid-19 crisis.

According to the firm its Alphabet Abacus toy was a firm favourite with families who used it learning the Welsh alphabet.

The firm also provided pronunciation guides for non-Welsh speaking parents to assist with their children’s learning.