Children across Powys have been celebrating the Welsh language on Shwmae Su'mae Day.

The annual celebration is marked every year to promote the language and encourage people to start a conversation by saying hello in Welsh.

Pupils at Llanidloes CP School, an English-medium school with just under 300 pupils, wore colours of the Welsh flag and took part in fun activities today (October 15).

Harri and his friends are part of the Criw Cymraeg which meet every week to discuss how to improve Welsh in the school. "Dwi'n hoffi siarad Cymraeg oherwydd mae'n bendigedig," he said.

County Times:

Jenna said she is "proud" to speak Welsh and that it is important to celebrate because "it's our country and the language we speak".

Damien added: "We've been going around classes telling them to say shw'mae to everyone."

School children and staff have been working hard to achieve a gold award as part of their language charter - Cymraeg Campus - which is used to promote the Welsh language throughout the school.

Elen Chennetier, headteacher, said: "We've got a really lively and vibrant Criw Cymraeg from across the school who lead the progress towards the gold award. We've already got the silver award and we're very proud of that.

"Welsh is alive in the school even though it's an English-medium school. We really try and help the children to understand their cynefin and where they're from. We do a lot of work with culture and we bring in Welsh popstars, rappers and storytellers.

"It's been difficult getting that vibrancy going throughout Covid because keeping Welsh as a focus is such a community thing within the school and that's been hard in our bubbles. Now that we're a bit more free, we're going for it again to get our gold award.

"We're very much looking at our locality like the Chartists and Old Market Hall and looking at our area as a whole. We try to get the children to connect through that and they start to love the Welsh culture and the Welsh language."