Our vision in Mudiad Meithrin is that every child in Wales should have the opportunity to play, learn and grow through the medium of Welsh. So wherever there are young children in Wales then Mudiad Meithrin – and therefore the Welsh language – should also be there.
Following the publication of our evaluation of our last Equality and Diversity Strategy, Mudiad Meithrin launched Everybody Belongs: Mudiad Meithrin Equity and Anti-Racism Plan 2024-2027 on Monday 5th August on the Mudiad’s stand at the National Eisteddfod in Pontypridd.
Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, Chief Executive of Mudiad Meithrin, said:
“The Welsh language belongs to everyone, and for Mudiad Meithrin our commitment to anti-racism and to celebrating diversity is central to that vision. Children and their parents often begin their journey to become Welsh speakers through our services, and our aim is therefore to ensure that everyone feels they belong at the start of that journey – regardless of background, race, belief, sexuality, disability or learning needs. Everyone belongs.”
The work of Mudiad Meithrin has many different aspects, and so the new Plan is divided into four themes:
- Our workforce and workplace
- Our services
- Our settings
- Our partnerships
Menna Machreth, Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Equality Officer at Mudiad Meithrin, said:
“There is a long way to go, but we are very proud of how committed the staff at Mudiad Meithrin and all Cylch Meithrin across Wales are to ensure everyone feels they belong – not just to their setting but to their community and to the Welsh language.”
The event was also an opportunity to learn more about some of the projects and developments that have resulted from the publication of the strategy e.g. committing to a zero tolerance campaign towards racism; creating resources that reflect the diversity of race, culture, religion and physical differences within our settings.
One of these projects is the AwDUra scheme – a scheme to mentor 12 aspiring Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority writers to write books in Welsh for young children. 3 of the books have now been published thanks to the scheme. These are important publications as they close the knowledge gap that exists in terms of suitable resources in Welsh for young children making everyone feel like they belong in the Mudiad Meithrin family.
One of the books published in the AwDUra series is ‘Granchie a’r Dderwen Fawr’ by Chantelle Moore – a heart-warming story about culture, identity and coming to terms with loss. Chantelle was present at the launch to talk about the experience of being one of the new writers on the scheme. Mudiad Meithrin have recently commissioned a film version of Chantelle reading her story, as well as commissioning Nia Morais to compose a poem in response. This is thanks to funding by the Windrush Cymru fund. Nia was also present at the launch.
