Coleg Cymraeg further education ambassadors appointed in Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion

Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion has announced six new further education ambassadors for the 2024-25 academic year.

In collaboration with the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol the ambassadors will raise awareness amongst their fellow learners at the college of the benefits of bilingual education and training, and to encourage them to continue to use their Welsh language skills in the workplace in the future.

Among the new crew at Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion this year will be Abigail Williams, Bethan Phillips, Isabelle Wells, Lexie Wells, Mari Lloyd and Menna Bennett

Abigail Williams said: “I am very much looking forward to showing students in college that the Welsh language isn’t as difficult as they may think. I would also like to encourage people to use the Welsh language, regardless how fluent they may be.”

Bethan Phillips said: “I really am looking forward to my role as a Welsh ambassador for the second year. This year my focus is to help promote the Welsh language on my social media platforms through sharing my work as a Welsh ambassador.”

Isabelle French-Wells said: “When I left school in 2020, I didn’t get much of an opportunity to use the Welsh language at home. As an Ambassador for the Coleg Cymraeg, I want to ensure that everyone in college has the opportunity to use and practice their language. I am also looking forward to practicing and improving my own Welsh language skills and being a part of situations where I will be pushed out of my comfort zone.”

Lexie Leigh-Wells said: “I am studying a child care course in Ceredigion college. I am looking forward to sharing my Welsh language skills with others. I am also looking forward to sharing the importance of the Welsh language within everyday life.”

Mari Lloyd said: “I am excited to encourage everyone to speak as much Welsh as possible. Together, we can meet the target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050. I look forward to meeting others that share my passion and commitment to meeting this goal.”

Menna Bennett said: “I am looking forward to raising awareness of the Welsh language across the whole of Wales. I look forward to meeting other ambassadors, who like myself are determined to raise the percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales in the years to come.”

The ambassadors will begin their work this month, and will represent the Coleg Cymraeg and Coleg Sir Gâr and Ceredigion at a variety of events, create social media content, and offer ideas on how to promote the Welsh language within their college.

The scheme also offers the ambassadors many opportunities to build their confidence and skills, and to be part of their college’s Welsh-speaking community.

This year, the Coleg Cymraeg have appointed a total of 40 ambassadors across 12 further education colleges, and Elin Williams, the Coleg’s Marketing Manager is pleased to see the scheme growing each year. She said:

“The further education ambassador scheme is going from strength to strength with a number of colleges and their learners very enthusiastic to be part of the scheme.

“We now collaborate with colleges from all over Wales, and it’s great to see the relationship developing.

“We look forward to working with the new crew and sincerely hope that they will be able to inspire their peers to use and be proud of their bilingual skills.”

To find out more about the ambassadors and to follow the scheme throughout the year visit the Coleg Cymraeg social media platforms: Tik Tok, Instagram, X on Facebook: @colegcymraeg