Beth yw Urdd Gobaith yr Urdd?

What is Urdd Gobaith Cymru?

"Mae Urdd Gobaith Cymru yn Gorff Ieuenctid Gwirfoddol Cenedlaethol â dros 55,000 o aelodau rhwng 8 a 25 mlwydd oed. Ers 1922, rydyn ni'n darparu cyfleoedd i blant a phobl ifanc fwynhau profiadau trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg a fydd yn eu galluogi i wneud cyfraniad cadarnhaol yn eu cymunedau."

"Urdd Gobaith Cymru is a National Voluntary Youth Organisation with over 55,000 members between the ages of 8 and 25 yrs old. Since 1922, we've provided opportunities through the medium of Welsh for children and young people in Wales to enable them to make positive contributions to their communities."

Amdanom ni | Urdd Gobaith Cymru

About Us | Urdd Gobaith Cymru

Hanes Urdd Gobaith Cymru

Sefydlwyd Urdd Gobaith Cymru gan Syr Ifan ab Owen Edwards ym 1922. Ei fwriad oedd creu mudiad i amddiffyn y Gymraeg mewn byd lle roedd yr iaith Saesneg yn dominyddu pob agwedd o fywyd plant Cymru tu allan i’r cartref a’r capel. Mewn rhifyn o ‘Cymru’r Plant’ ym 1922 meddai Syr Ifan, ‘Yn awr mewn llawer pentref, a bron ym mhob tref yng Nghymru, mae’r plant yn chwarae yn Saesneg, yn darllen llyfrau Saesneg, ac yn anghofio mai Cymry ydynt.’ Ar ddechrau’r ugeinfed ganrif er bod dros filiwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg yng Nghymru, edrychai’r dyfodol yn reit ddu i’r iaith.

Dau o’r unigolion mwyaf blaenllaw a aeth ati i wynebu’r argyfwng yn y cyfnod hwn oedd O. M. Edwards, a’i fab Syr Ifan ab Owen Edwards. Ysgrifennodd O. M. Edwards, prif arolygydd cyntaf addysg Cymru, yn helaeth i’r cylchgrawn misol ‘Cymru’r Plant’ a sefydlwyd ganddo ym 1892. Cyhoeddodd lyfrau di-ri yn y Gymraeg ar wleidyddiaeth ac am Gymru. Anogai ymwybyddiaeth o Gymreictod yn y cylchgronau ‘Cymru’ a ‘Cymru’r Plant’ gan drwytho plant yn niwylliant a thraddodiadau eu gwlad. Ymgeisiodd ddwywaith i sefydlu mudiad ar gyfer ieuenctid Cymru, sef ‘Urdd y Delyn’ ym 1896, a ‘Byddin Cymru’ ym 1911, ond ni fu un o’r ymdrechion hyn yn llwyddiant. Er i O. M. farw ym 1920 bu ei fywyd a’i syniadau yn ysbrydoliaeth i’w fab i ddatblygu mudiad newydd.
Ar farwolaeth O.M.Edwards, Syr Ifan ddaeth yn olygydd cylchgrawn ‘Cymru’r Plant’ ac yn y cylchgrawn hwn ym 1922 yr apeliodd ar blant Cymru i ymuno â mudiad newydd, sef ‘Urdd Gobaith Cymru Fach’. Dyma ddechrau newydd yn hanes iaith a diwylliant Cymru. Cafodd ymateb cadarnhaol o’r cychwyn cyntaf. Derbyniwyd llwyth o lythyrau a syniadau, ac roedd brwdfrydedd yr aelodau yn llethu ‘Cymru’r Plant’ a gwasg Hughes a’i fab yn Wrecsam. Erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn gyntaf roedd 720 o enwau aelodau wedi ymddangos yn y cylchgrawn a channoedd mwy yn aros eu tro. Sefydlwyd Adran gyntaf yr Urdd yn Treuddyn, Sir Fflint ym 1922.
Yn y cyfnod cynnar Syr Ifan a’i wraig a oedd yn ysgwyddo’r holl gyfrifoldeb am drefniadaeth a gweinyddiad yr Urdd, ac roeddent yn gweithio o’u cartref yn Llanuwchllyn. Erbyn diwedd 1923 tyfodd yr aelodaeth, o ganlyniad i’w brwdfrydedd hwy, i 3,000, a thyfu ymhellach i dros 5,000 ym 1927 gyda nifer yr adrannau yn tyfu i 80. Ym 1924 sefydlwyd yr adran gyntaf yn y de yn Abercynon. Dangosodd hyn sut oedd gwaith yr Urdd yn effeithio ar ardaloedd di-Gymraeg yn ogystal ag ardaloedd lle roedd llawer o Gymry Cymraeg yn byw.
Erbyn diwedd y 1920au felly, yr oedd yr Urdd wedi tyfu o fod yn fudiad cylchgrawn i fod yn fudiad gweithredol a deinamig. Tyfodd i fod yn fudiad hyderus, a chafwyd gwared o’r gair ‘bach’ yn enw’r mudiad. Yr enw ar ei newydd wedd oedd ‘Urdd Gobaith Cymru’. Erbyn 1930 roedd 20 cylch wedi eu creu a thua dwsin arall ar y gweill. Datblygodd y cylchoedd hynny i gael baneri unigryw a threfniant effeithiol.

The History of Urdd Gobaith Cymru

Urdd Gobaith Cymru was established by Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards in 1922. His aim was to protect the Welsh language in a world where the English language dominated every aspect of life outside the home. In an issue of the magazine ‘Cymru’r Plant’ in 1922 Syr Ifan said, ‘These days, in many villages, and in most towns in Wales, children play and read in English. They forget that they are Welsh.’
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the future looked bleak for the Welsh language, even though there were over a million Welsh speakers in Wales. Two of the most prominent figures to challenge the crisis at this time  were O.M. Edwards and his son, Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards. O.M. Edwards, Wales’ first Chief Inspector for Education, contributed on a regular basis to the monthly magazine ‘Cymru’r Plant’, established by him in 1892. He published many Welsh books on Wales and Welsh politics. In his articles he encouraged awareness amongst the Welsh people of Welsh culture and traditions. He tried twice to establish a youth movement for the young people and children of Wales. ‘Urdd y Delyn’ was established in 1896, and ‘Byddin Cymru’ in 1911, but both attempts failed. O. M. Edwards died in 1920, but his life and ideas were an inspiration to his son to develop a new successful movement.
After the death of O.M.Edwrads, his son Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards became the editor for the magazine  ‘Cymru’r Plant’ and in 1922, in that magazine, he appealed to the children of Wales to join a new movement which was called ‘Urdd Gobaith Cymru Fach’. This was a new beginning in the history of the Welsh language and culture. The reaction was positive from the start and he received many letters and ideas. The enthusiasm amongst the readers of ‘Cymru’r Plant’ overwhelmed Hughes and Son press in Wrexham. By the end of the year, names of 720 new members had appeared in the magazine and hundreds more were eagerly awaiting their turn. The first local Urdd branch was established in Treuddyn, Flintshire in 1922.
In the early days Sir Ifan and his wife took responsibility for all aspects of the organising and administration. All Urdd work took place at their home in Llanuwchlyn, near Bala. By the end of 1923, as a result of their enthusiasm, the number of members rose to 3,000, and by 1927 5,000 young people had become members of the Urdd. The number of Urdd branches also rose to 80 by 1927. In 1924 the first Urdd branch was established in Abercynon in South Wales. This proved how effective the Urdd was in non-Welsh speaking areas, as well as in areas where most Welsh speakers lived.
By the end of the 1920s therefore, the Urdd had grown to be an active, dynamic movement. It grew to be popular and confident, and the word ‘small’ (bach) was deleted from its name. It was now called ‘Urdd Gobaith Cymru’. By 1930, 20 ‘cylchoedd’ (areas) had been created and a dozen more were in progress. These ‘cylchoedd’ had their own unique flags and effective organisation.