AN OUTDOOR education centre which welcomes thousands of pupils ever year has completed its £2million upgrade .
Gwersyll yr Urdd Glan-llyn, the Urdd’s residential centre in Llanuwchllyn, Bala, boasts a new water activities training centre on the shores of lake Llyn Tegid.
The centre includes accommodation and self-catering facilities, meeting areas, changing rooms, and a workshop. The new building also offers rooms benefiting from "magnificent" views for groups to hold meetings, or workshops.
The site has also welcomed a new director.
Mair Edwards has taken up her position following the retirement of Huw Antur.
Siân Lewis, chief executive of the Urdd, said: “It's great to see these new facilities completed and being enjoyed by children, young people, and our staff. The new Water Centre enables us to continue to offer the highest quality of outdoor activities at Glan-llyn and is part of a wider vision to upgrade the facilities at the Urdd’s residential centres.
“Over the last three years and thanks to support by the Welsh Government and Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS, Glan-llyn has received an investment of £2m in order to develop the outdoor centre’s provision – which includes transforming a 150-year-old building, Glan-llyn Isa’, into self-contained accommodation.
"Glan-llyn Isa’ meets the demand from older members of the Urdd for a self-contained accommodation and has proven to be popular since its opening in 2021.”
Ms Edwards has more than 16 years of experience working at a strategic level and as a member of a senior team in the field of community development and regeneration within the housing sector.
She said: "Providing the best opportunities for young people has been at the core of my work for decades, and it will continue to be my priority in this exciting role.
“Over the years Glan-llyn has completed significant developments to improve the centre’s facilities and services, and we are very grateful for the financial support that has made this possible.
"The new Water Activities centre is as good as any other centre, and this gives us the confidence to continue to attract children and adults from Wales and beyond to take part in a range of exciting outdoor activities.”
By spring 2024 Glan-llyn will open a brand-new camping site, Cae Penllyn, which will offer a kitchen, self-catering facilities and a multi-use community area that can be used by large and small groups alike.
About 103,000 visitors and more than 850 primary and secondary schools visit the Urdd’s Residential Centres every year. Over half (52 per cent) of the children and young people who visit the Residential Centres don’t attend Welsh medium schools, and are given the opportunity to experience social, cultural and sport activities in Welsh through the Urdd.
Glan-llyn’s improvement works is part of a three-year-project worth £10m to expand and upgrade facilities at the Urdd’s residential centres.
The project also includes the new Environmental and Wellbeing Centre, Pentre Ifan that recently opened and complete modernisation of parts of the Llangrannog site.
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