This year’s Welsh Learner of the Year is Hannah Roberts from Brynmawr.
She was honoured in a special ceremony on Wednesday evening, following an excellent competition. The adjudicators, Elwyn Hughes, Sandra De Pol and Angharad Mair, were so impressed with the standard of entries that they decided that five people should reach the final.
Hannah works as a Field Officer for the Language Initiative in Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Monmouthshire, promoting the use of Welsh across Blaenau Gwent and north Monmouthshire. She works with children and young people, families and the communities and loves her work, as it enables her to help to promote the language in her own locality.
She started learning Welsh ‘by accident’ when home from university one summer, and looking for something to do. She attended a taster course and loved it. She returned to Aberystwyth University and decided to change her course from Geography to a Welsh for beginners course in the Welsh Department.
She lived in Neuadd Pantycelyn, and loved her time there, although she had to fight to get people to speak Welsh with her. So she started a Society for learners at the University to create opportunities for students to use and practise their Welsh.
Hannah receives a trophy and £300, donated by the Gwent Welsh for Adults Centre, and a year’s subscription to Golwg.
The other four finalists, Rwth Evans, Cardiff, Rachel Jones, Builth Wells, Naomi O’Brien, Bedlinog and Sarah Reynolds, Carmarthen, also receive a trophy and £100 each, also donated by the Gwent Welsh for Adults Centre.”
Hannah will be at the press conference on Thursday morning.