The ‘Welsh Language Award’ is an award the recognises clubs’ efforts to promote and recognise the Welsh language within their activities. This club have exceeded expectations, and gone above and beyond this past academic year to not only make all their activities and social media posts bilingual, but also to seek opportunities that allow them to promote the language through volunteering their time.
The Netball Club is the winner of this years’ ‘Welsh Language Award’, with multiple nominations outlining their efforts. Their nominations drew on their inclusion of the Welsh language in all of the club's activities, social media posts, flyers and leaflets as well as on their social kit. Their members elected a Welsh Language Officer, who sat on the committee and ensured every translation was consistent and fit for the occasion. Several representatives from the club volunteered during the Urdd Tournaments in Cardiff and Aberystwyth, where Welsh-medium schools required helpers to referee and speak in their preferred language.
During this year, netball have helped out at two Urdd netball tournaments. The first being the one that the University supports in Cardiff and the second was here in Aberystwyth. Both required our Welsh-speaking umpires to communicate with some of the teachers and team members to help with any queries and to make sure the tournament was running on time. – Anonymous Nominator
The Netball Club have demonstrated they embrace the Welsh Language and are passionate about continuing their work, by teaching and sharing the language with their members. Due to the need to understand the opposition during the local league games, many members have been involved in learning the basics of the language, which enabled them to communicate with the opposition through the medium of Welsh. Nominations suggested this has brought the club members closer, as well as providing a platform for language learning and promotion. It is great to see such interest in the Welsh language within the TîmAber community.
Overall, the club continues to become more open to the language and the members more willing to learn. With the club being a lot closer this year, members often ask each other what certain phrases and words mean on the way to and from games, helping to expand everyone's knowledge of the language. – Anonymous Nominator
After deliberating, the panel thought the Netball Club were deserving winners of the ‘Welsh Language Award’ this year, with the majority of nominations. We hope the work the club has demonstrated inspires other clubs and societies, and that the Welsh language will become more popular among the TîmAber community. Congratulations Netball, for all the great work you have achieved this year!
