Pentrefoelas care home funds Welsh lessons for care staff 2026

Key Points

• “Cartref Bryn yr Eglwys”, located in North Wales, is financing its staff members for attending Welsh language lessons every week.
• The eight-week course is organized through the initiative of the Bangor University for social care workers.
• The owner, Meryl Welsby, will pay for two-hour Friday lessons that are going on even in holidays and other rest days.
• The care home has 28 members of staff, out of which only five can speak Welsh fluently.
• Approximately 90% of the residents can speak Welsh natively, and many of them speak easily in Welsh when they are ill or have lost memory.
• Members of staff who come from almost a dozen countries including cooks, cleaners, administrators, carers and nurses are participating in the course.
• The course emphasizes practical spoken Welsh in care homes for greeting people and asking residents for their preferences.
• The participants will get an official certificate recognized by the National Centre for Learning Welsh.
• Mair Rees, the tutor of “Learn Welsh – North West” of Bangor University, contacted the care home regarding participation in the initiative.

Wales (Wales Times) October 20, 2026: A North Wales care home is paying its staff to learn Welsh so they can better support residents, most of whom are native Welsh speakers. Cartref Bryn yr Eglwys, based in Pentrefoelas, has enrolled employees in weekly language classes through a uk/local/bangor/">Bangor University scheme created for social care workers.

Why is Cartref Bryn yr Eglwys funding Welsh lessons?

The care home is funding the lessons because language can be central to day-to-day care. According to reporting by the North Wales Chronicle, roughly 90 per cent of residents at Cartref Bryn yr Eglwys are native Welsh speakers, while many find it easier to communicate in Welsh, particularly when they are unwell or experiencing memory loss.

The home employs 28 staff members, but only five are first-language Welsh speakers. Its workforce includes people from around a dozen countries, making the training especially relevant for staff who are new to Wales as well as those who already have some Welsh.

As reported by the North Wales Chronicle, owner Meryl Welsby said the university recognised that many overseas social care workers in Wales could benefit from learning Welsh. She said:

“Our involvement came about because the university understands that there are a lot of overseas social care workers in Wales and it would really benefit them to learn Welsh.”

What does the Welsh course involve?

The course is an eight-week, formal programme delivered through a Bangor University-led initiative tailored to social care. Lessons last two hours and take place at the care home on Friday afternoons.

Although the course is funded, Ms Welsby said the home is paying staff to attend during their holidays and days off. She said: “It is a funded course, but we are actually paying all the staff to come in on their holidays and days off.”

As reported by the Daily Post, the course focuses on verbal interaction rather than vocabulary and written Welsh. Ms Welsby said it has been designed especially for the social care environment and includes staff who have direct contact with residents, their families and friends.

How will the training help residents?

The training aims to help staff build stronger relationships with residents and communicate more effectively in personal care situations. Mair Rees, a health and social care tutor for Learn Welsh – North West, said the course teaches phrases and language patterns that staff can use directly in their jobs.

As reported by the North Wales Chronicle, Ms Rees said: “They have been learning how to introduce themselves, who they are, what their role is, where they work, what they like, what they don’t like.”

She added that staff are also learning to ask residents what they like and dislike, which she described as important for personal care.

Who approached the care home about the scheme?

Ms Rees approached Cartref Bryn yr Eglwys about taking part in the initiative. She lives in Pentrefoelas and works as a health and social care tutor for Learn Welsh North West at Bangor University, a learning provider for the National Centre for Learning Welsh.

As reported by the Daily Post, Ms Rees said her two grandmothers had been cared for at the home in recent years. She said:

“Both my grandmothers have been cared for here in recent years so it was nice to be able to offer something back for the care that they received.”

What have staff said about learning Welsh?

Staff taking part have welcomed the opportunity to learn. Sandhya Dahal, a nurse from Nepal who has worked at the home for two years, said the course would help her interact with residents and get to know them better.

As reported by the North Wales Chronicle, Ms Dahal said: “I’m enjoying the course because I like learning new things and this will help me interact with my residents and get to know them better.”

Neethu Raj, a carer from India, also welcomed the training. She said: “I am very happy to be learning a new language and it is important because I am working in Wales.”

What changes have already been seen?

Ms Welsby said she had already noticed improvements in staff members’ Welsh. She said staff were greeting people at the front door in Welsh and answering the telephone in Welsh.

As reported by the Daily Post, she said:

“I have already seen an improvement in their Welsh. I hear them greet people at the front door in Welsh now, which is really lovely, and they are answering the phone in Welsh, which is a big, big step.”

She added that many staff already knew some Welsh because the home encourages use of the Say Something in Welsh app, but the formal course takes their learning further.

What happens when the course ends?

Staff who complete the course will receive a certificate recognised by the National Centre for Learning Welsh.

The Daily Post reported that people seeking more information about available Welsh courses can contact Mair Rees at mair.rees@bangor.ac.uk or the National Centre at iechydagofal@dysgucymraeg.cymru.

Background of the development

Cartref Bryn yr Eglwys is a care home in Pentrefoelas, North Wales, where most residents are native Welsh speakers. The new training forms part of a Bangor University-led initiative aimed specifically at social care workers, particularly those from overseas who may benefit from learning Welsh for their work and community life.

Bangor University already provides Welsh language learning support through Canolfan Bedwyr, including workplace-focused courses and language skills development for staff, students and external organisations. The Welsh Language Commissioner also notes that Bangor University developed ARFer, a Welsh Government-funded scheme encouraging staff to use more Welsh at work.

Prediction: How could this affect care staff and residents?

For residents, the development could make everyday communication more comfortable, especially for those who rely on Welsh when feeling unwell or experiencing memory loss. Staff being able to greet residents, ask about preferences and hold basic conversations in Welsh may support more person-centred care.

For care staff, the course could improve confidence, workplace communication and links with the local community. The recognised certificate may also provide a formal record of their Welsh language learning, while the home’s decision to pay for attendance reduces the personal cost and time burden of training.

For other Welsh care providers, the scheme may highlight a practical model for supporting multilingual workforces in Welsh-speaking communities. Its effect will depend on whether similar workplace-tailored courses are expanded and whether staff continue using Welsh in daily care after the eight-week programme ends.