Louise W.

I’ve lived in the South Wales Valleys all my life but struggled to learn Welsh in school. I know the basics (counting, colours, and a couple of other things), but due to being neurodivergent, I struggled in school and got moved between schools a lot and ended up in a SEN school that didn’t actually teach Welsh (although the art teacher did do what were listed as Welsh lessons, but it was mostly telling Welsh folk tales (in English) and getting us to draw an element of the story). I did at one school learn to say Llanfarpwllgwyngychgogerychwyrndrobyllllantysiliogogogoch (I may have spelt that wrong). I heard of SSiW in 2010 after having a free CD from someone at the SSiW stall at the 2010 Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale, during the time I was attending the special school, but I’m learning now because I’d like to encourage more learning and use of Welsh at my workplace, and it was available through the trade union I recently became a rep for. I’m just starting week 3 of the 6-month course this week.