On Friday, July 5th the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative awards ceremony was held at the National Library of Wales. Representatives from 40 primary and secondary schools from all over Wales came to Aberystwyth to receive financial awards for creating projects that celebrate the heritage of their area.
The aim of the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative is to motivate pupils to take an interest in Welsh history, and since 1990 the initiative has been holding a national competition for school children of different ages. Producing the projects encourages pupils to research and appreciate their heritage and local history, as well as increasing their awareness of Welsh history. Many of the competitors used the Library's collections and resources to do so.
During the award ceremonies there were In Character performances, with school pupils learning about Betty Campbell, the head teacher from Butetown, and Mari Jones, the girl who walked from Llanfihangel y Pennant to Bala to buy a Bible. To coincide with Mari Jones' performance, visitors were given the opportunity to see one of the two Bibles she carried on her journey, together with the first Bible printed in the Welsh language in 1588.
The National Library of Wales is part of a partnership that supports the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative, together with Amgueddfa Cymru, Cadw, the Royal Commission on the Monuments of Wales, the People's Collection, and a host of sponsors including the Moondance Foundation and the Hodge Foundation. More information about the competition can be found here: https://cy.whsi.org.uk/thecompetition.
Category: News