Canolfan Bedwyr Opens its Doors

Mr Wyn Thomas and Dr Llion Jones outside Canolfan Bedwyr's new home Mr Wyn Thomas and Dr Llion Jones outside Canolfan Bedwyr's new home A number of innovative projects that promote and support the use of the Welsh language will be celebrated today (12 October 2011) as Canolfan Bedwyr, Bangor University’s centre for Welsh language services opens the doors of its new home to the world.

Canolfan Bedwyr, celebrating fifteen years of innovation this month, has recently relocated to Neuadd Dyfrdwy, which forms part of the Management Centre on College Road.  Between 11 and 5 today, university staff and students as well as the general public will be given an opportunity to learn more about the work carried out by Canolfan Bedwyr.

Over the years, Canolfan Bedwyr has won national and international acclaim, not only for its work in developing and promoting Bangor University’s use of the Welsh language, but also for its work in facilitating the use of Welsh in the wider world.  A number of the centre’s current projects reflect this dual mission. For the university’s internal needs, a new electronic work-flow and translation memory system has been developed for the Translation Unit as well as a ‘Cymorth Cymraeg’ website aimed at facilitating staff and students’ use of Welsh. Externally, the centre has recently secured major contracts from the Welsh Government’s Department of Education and Skills to lead the national scheme to develop the Welsh language skills of teachers and lecturers and also to develop subject-based terminology for the secondary and FE sectors.

Canolfan Bedwyr also provides a home for the administrative branch of the newly formed Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol at Bangor University, and the new offices on College Road provide a visible presence for this new national institution on the university’s campus.

Dr Llion Jones, Director of Canolfan Bedwyr commented: “As we open our doors and provide people with the opportunity to sample the centre’s work, we are celebrating a number of developments that are making a practical contribution towards the Welsh Government’s aim of increasing the use of Welsh. By the same token, we are truly proud to be a crucial focus for the university’s endeavours to develop and strengthen its position as the leading university in terms of Welsh language services and Welsh medium provision”.

New lecturers- left-right: Dr Myfanwy Davies, Enlli Huws, Dr Manon Jones, Dr Paula Roberts, Dr Manon Mathias and ( centre) Dr Owain Llwyd (absent from the picture is Dr Craig Owen Jones) New lecturers- left-right: Dr Myfanwy Davies, Enlli Huws, Dr Manon Jones, Dr Paula Roberts, Dr Manon Mathias and ( centre) Dr Owain Llwyd (absent from the picture is Dr Craig Owen Jones) Pro Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for the Welsh language, Mr Wyn Thomas, said: “I’m delighted that the university has been able to provide Canolfan Bedwyr with a new home that is worthy of its innovative work, thus also ensuring a prominent location for the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s activities at Bangor University.”

For further details about the work of Canolfan Bedwyr, please contact Dr Llion Jones on 01248 388054 or llion.jones@bangor.ac.uk.

See also Canolfan Bedwyr’s website www.bangor.ac.uk/canolfanbedwyr

Publication date: 10 October 2011