Gwynedd home to be converted as part of 拢6.5m Urdd project

Image source, Eirian Evans/Geograph

Image caption, The Glan-llyn centre sits on the side of Llyn Tegid in Gwynedd

Urdd Gobaith Cymru is to begin a 拢6.5m project to develop its outdoor centres.

The youth organisation will mark the start of the work at a house formerly used by the head of the Glan-llyn centre near Bala in Gwynedd.

The extended house will become a new stand-alone centre, combining accommodation and teaching spaces.

The 18-month project also includes a new water sport centre at Glan-llyn, and modernisation of parts of the Llangrannog centre in Ceredigion.

Urdd chief executive Si芒n Lewis said it was "the start of a significant and important project for the Urdd".

"More than 50% of all Welsh schools attend Urdd centres on residential courses, and of those who visited over the past three years, 26% came from the 20% most deprived communities in Wales," she said.

Image source, HLN Architects

Image caption, How the Llangrannog centre in Ceredigion could look in the future

The Urdd said there were 47,000 annual visitors to Llangrannog and Glan-llyn, generating a turnover of 拢5m.

It is anticipated the increase in visitors at the centres will result in an additional 拢1.3m in turnover for the Urdd and an increase in staff numbers.

The investment combines a grant from the Welsh Government and match funding by the Urdd.