New festival will mark 75 years of Urdd youth centre

A NEW festival in North Wales has been announced by the Urdd to mark the 75th anniversary of its youth residential centre on the shores of Llyn Tegid, near Bala.

- By IAN LEWIS

The new family-friendly Glan-llyn Festival will be held on Saturday, September 27 and celebrate the success of residential base Gwersyll yr Urdd Glan-llyn, which was opened in 1950.

The milestone celebration was unveiled on the fourth day of the Urdd Eisteddfod currently being held at Margam Park, Port Talbot, which runs until tomorrow.

The September festival will include performances by Eden and Tant, traditional twmpath dancing, an '80s themed disco and more.

Two years ago, significant upgrading work worth £2m was completed at the Glan-llyn site to develop the outdoor centre's facilities, thanks to support from the Welsh Government.

This included upgrading the water activity centre, a brand-new accommodation block and transforming a 150-year-old building into self-catering accommodation.

Yesterday, the Urdd said it was proud to announce that the organisation will further invest in developments at Glan-llyn over the next two years.

Mair Edwards, director of Gwersyll yr Urdd Glan-llyn, said: "Over the decades, Glan-llyn has developed into a high-quality residential centre offering top-class outdoor activities, and today over 30,000 are staying with us annually.