Croeso to the Polish (From Tivyside Advertiser)

Croeso to the Polish

2:23pm Monday 12th May 2008

• Print
• Email
• Share

The local community in the small Teifi-Valley community of Llanfihangel-ar-arth are holding an Open Session this Saturday (17/5) to welcome newcomers to the area from Poland and to celebrate both Welsh and Polish cultures.

As the first event of its kind in rural Wales, this event will be bilingual - in Welsh and Polish - and will be entitled "OTWARTE DRZWI / AGOR Y DRWS" ("Open Door" in Polish and "Open the Door" in Welsh). Between 4pm-7pm there will be a welcoming tea featuring Welsh and Polish foods, traditional and contemporary entertainment, a nursery for the children, brief taster courses for learning Welsh through the medium of Polish, an introduction to Wales and games - table-tennis, snooker and a football "international" between Wales and Poland.

Commenting on the event, one of the organisers, Meinir Ffransis (secretary, Llanfihangel-ar-arth School Hall Committee) said " Our village school was closed 5 years ago and was a terrible blow to the community, but we are determined to carry on to develop it as a focus for our village. We always ned new blood and young people and we welcome the Polish newcomers to join with us. There has been a very good response from the Polish community and we look forward to a lively session. We are proud that our community is setting a new trend in rural Wales, and we thank the agencies who are supporting us in this venture."

The innovative day is financially supported by the Milltir Sgwar scheme administered by Antur Teifi and the People and Places scheme of the Big Lottery Fund and is being organized in partnership with Menter Iaith Gorllewin Sir Gar and the South-West Wales Welsh for Adults Centre of Swansea University and Menter Iaith Gorllewin Sir Gar.

• Print
• Email
• Share