E-petition is launched to link Urdd funding to alcohol ban

Following the decision of Urdd Gobaith Cymru to allow alcohol to be sold on the Eisteddfod site for the first time in Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion in May 2010, an e-petition has been launched to ask the Welsh Assembly to consider only funding future Urdd Eisteddfodau on condition that alochol is not sold on the Eisteddfod site.

Instigated by the Welsh Council for Alcohol and Other Drugs, the e-petition is an opportunity for anyone who has concerns about the decision to register their concerns with the Assembly. The petition can be accessed at http://www.assemblywales.org/gethome/e-petitions/epetition-list-of-signatories.htm?pet_id=443&prncl_ptnr=Cyngor%20Cymru%20ar%20alcohol%20a%20Chyffuriau%20Eraill%20/%20The%20Welsh%20Council%20on%20Alcohol%20and%20Other%20Drugs&clsd_dt=14/03/2010

Wynford Ellis Owen, Chief Executive, The Welsh Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs, said, “We oppose the Urdd's decision to permit the sale of alcohol on the Urdd Eisteddfod site. The opposition is based on the fact that it is a Festival for children and young people and, as such, the great majority of competitors and their friends are under the legal age for alcohol consumption. Evidence suggests that children and young people are more likely to become drinkers and heavy drinkers the more society normalises the use of alcohol – which is exactly what the Urdd is doing by introducing alcohol to the Eisteddfod site. Would the Urdd promote the sale of Tobacco on the Eisteddfod site?

“Through this e-petition we hope we can persuade the Welsh Assembly to reconsider its funding for this event until the Urdd reverses its decision to serve alcohol at the Eisteddfod. It is a frightening fact that Welsh 11-15 year-olds drink more alcohol than those of a same age in any other European country. This impairs their health, places them in all sorts of danger and damages their hopes for the future. This is totally contrary to the praiseworthy aims and intentions of the Urdd.

“The Urdd, as a movement which receives public funding from the Assembly, should act to strengthen the Assembly's policies on health and fitness not work against it. We call on the Assembly to take a stand as the Urdd's decision undermines Assembly health strategies by reinforcing practices, such as drinking alcohol, which run counter to the aim of promoting health and welfare. What justification does the Urdd have for undermining public policy?

“If the Urdd is unwilling to change its policy on this matter then putting pressure on the Assembly to consider withholding its funding until the decision is reversed may well have a much more powerful effect on the Urdd’s decision making. The Urdd was, and should be, a responsible movement which puts the welfare of children and young people before everything else. This ethos is clearly no longer at the heart of the Urdd movement and the decision must
be reversed.”

Wynford Ellis Owen described the E-petition as “A last-ditch attempt to save the Urdd movement from itself”.

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I've forgotten who I'm working for

I feel overwhelmed by all the work I have to do today. Maybe that's because I've forgotten Who I'm doing it for. Ah! That's better! It's amazing the difference it makes when I present all I do as a gift to God. (And God, incidentally, can mean anything you want him or her to mean. You decide.)

Anghofio i bwy dwi'n gweithio!

Dwi'n teimlo bod yr holl waith sydd gen i i'w wneud heddiw yn mynd yn ormod i mi. Efallai bod hynny oherwydd mod i wedi anghofio i Bwy dwi'n gwneud y gwaith. Ah! Dyna welliant! Rhyfedd y gwahaniaeth mae cyflwyno popeth i Dduw yn ei wneud. (Gall Duw, gyda llaw, olygu unrhyw beth rydych chi am iddo/iddi olygu.)

Cerdd gan Angharad Jones

YN Y GWAED

NA

Cau dwrn ar dynerwch
Cau’r glust i dawelwch
Cau’r llygaid o’r golau
Cau’r blas ar wefusau
Cau’r drws ar bob teimlad
I fyw mewn un gwadiad.

Cofleidio y treisgar,
Cofleidio’r aflafar,
Cofleidio’r tywyllwch,
Cofleidio’r anialwch,
Cofleidio’r meddyliau
fel nadroedd mewn clymau.

A chydio mewn briwsion
A rheini’n rhai sychion
A chydio mewn dynion
A rheini’n rai oerion
A chydio mewn pethau
A’r pethau yn rithiau
A chydio mewn rhithiau
A rheini’n fil drychau
A chydio ‘n y drychau
A rheini’n fil darnau
A chanlyn y darnau
A rheini yn driciau,
A’r triciau yn twyllo
A’r twyllo yn gyffro
A’r cyffro yn gyffur
A’r cyffur yn gysur
A’r cysur yn pylu
A’r pylu yn grefu
A’r crefu yn nadu
A’r nadu yn wadu
A’r gwadu yn sgrechian
A’r sgrechian yn fudan
A’r mudan mewn dicter
Ei hun yn y gwacter
Heb fwgwd na chastiau
I’w guddio o’i ofnau.

Ac yn y diddymdra
Yn betrus ac ara’
Y dwrn sydd yn agor
Ac estyn am angor.

Ac angor tynerwch
Yng nghryfder tawelwch
yw diwedd ymrannu,
a dechrau’r cyfannu.

IE

Ymagor i’r tyner,
A gwrando ar bader,
Edrych i’r golau
Ag awch ar wefusau.
Dewrder i deimlo,
Gwroldeb rhag cuddio.

Cofleidio yr addfwyn,
Cofleidio’r c’newyllyn ,
Cofleidio y golau,
Cofleidio’r ffynhonnau,
Cofleidio pob teimlad
- c’lomennod yr enaid.

A derbyn y bara
A diolch heb draha,
A chynnal pob cyd-ddyn
Yn ffrind ac yn elyn,
A gadael i bethau
Gael byw heb amodau
A derbyn y rhithiau
Yn reiat o liwiau
Heb bin dadansoddi
I’w hoelio a’u rhewi.
Gadael i’r darnau
Hedfan heb glymau
A chwerthin ar driciau,
Heb goelio y castiau,
A chanfod y cyffro
Tu hwnt i’r cyffuriau,
Y cyffro sy’n llonydd,
A’r llonydd yn ddedwydd,
A’r dedwydd yn wenu,
A’r gwenu’n ddireidi,
Direidi sy’n neidio,
A’r neidio yn ddawnsio,
A’r dawnsio yn llawen,
A’r llawen yn chwerthin,
A’r chwerthin yn ddynol,
A’r dynol yn ddwyfol,
A’r dwyfol yw’r hunan
Yn un a’r llun cyfan.


Ac nid oes diddymdra
Tu hwnt i rith ofnau ;
Wrth lacio y dyrnau
mae agor llifddorau.

A’r daith o ymrannu
Yn ôl at gyfannu
Yw’r daith yn ôl adre –
Y diwedd yw’r dechre’.

2009

A poem by Angharad Jones

1. Negative Print

I clench my fist on tender things,
And close my ears to silent wings,
I purse my lips at taste that’s real,
And bolt my heart on all I feel.

With open arms I love the crude,
Embracing all that’s loud and rude,
And in the night my reign is wild,
I am the wilderness’s child.

My thoughts are all distorted fright,
Medusa’s snakes in knotted blight,
I scramble for the crumbs of life
To find them dry and full of strife.

I search for men with dead blue eyes
To see my own reflected lies,
And cling to worldly things and they
Elude me every single day.

Elude, elude – illusions all,
The mirror mirror on the wall
Now shattered to a thousand shards
All tricking with their bright facades.

Tricking into cheating games,
Delusions with my heart in flames,
A captive in deceit’s deep thrill,
A victim of my own strong will.

And as the will engorges more
The thrills burn burn me to my core,
The false deceiver leaves the room
The cravings multiply in bloom.

The wanting, wanting, one loud scream,
The nightmare now a toxic stream,
The last denial - owl’s live yell -
Then silence. It’s my own death knell.

And in the great big nothingness
A tender wind comes to caress
My face and eyes, my ears, my fists
And slowly, slowly, all untwists.

And smooth and tender is the night
I am no longer flight or fright,
Nor mask nor cheat nor Queen of slight,
There is within a small dim light.

The mad kaleidescope is still,
The crazy colours of my will,
I am no more a broken soul
I am at one with all, and whole.


(2009)

Encil Coleg Trefeca/ Retreat at Trefeca College

Bu'r encil yng ngholeg Trefeca ar 'Un dydd ar y tro' yn llwyddiant mawr. Bydd y nesaf yng Nghanolfan Encil Santes Non yn Nhy Ddewi, Sir Benfro, o 30ain o Orffennaf i'r 1af Awst. Dim ond lle i 15 sydd ar yr encil hwnnw - y cyntaf i'r felin amdani felly.

Diolch am eich dymuniadau da ar fy mhenblwydd. Cefais amser bendigedig, a bwyta llawer gormod o'r gacen siocled!


The weekend retreat at Trefeca College on the theme 'One day at a time' was a joy. You can now start booking for our next retreat at St Non's Retreat Centre, St Davids, Pembrokeshire, from 30th July to 1st August, 2010. We can only accommodate 15 people - so it'll be on a first come first serve basis.

Thanks for all your good wishes on my birthday - I had a most enjoyable time and ate far too much cake. Thanks again.

Urdd and alcohol

It’s ironic that on the day I travel up to Ysgol y Moelwyn, Blaenau Ffestiniog to speak to schoolchildren, at their invitation, about the perils of drug misuse that the Ceredigion Licensing Authority has granted Urdd Gobaith Cymru (sic) a license to enable them to sell alcohol – the most invidious, damaging drug of all- on the eisteddfod field. I am deeply saddened at this decision. One wonders at their excuse for granting this license – ‘no objections [were received] from any Responsible Authorities “within the immediate area”. I have no idea what “immediate area” means – the surrounding field, possibly? No objections were received, obviously, from the cattle or sheep? For they are the only inhabitants of the “immediate area”.

The loss of a dear friend

I'm preparing for our retreat at Trefeca college from 22nd to 24th January. I can do with a retreat right now to be honest with you, because yesterday, a dear friend of mine was found dead in the sea off Penarth - she'd gone way beyond our reach into her own personal hell. I've spend a lot of time soul-searching since; was there more I could have done to help her, etc? I'm looking forward to sharing with others my sense of loss and inadequacy and to unburden myself of the guilt I feel because I made it and she, and countless others, didn't.