THE community of the Llyn Peninsula and Eifionydd have been praised for their contributions towards the forthcoming Gwyl Cerdd Dant.

Gwyl Cerdd Dant Llyn ac Eifionydd 2016 takes place on Saturday, 12 November at Plas Heli in Pwllheli.

Chairman of the local committee in Llyn and Eifionydd, Ken Hughes, says he feels proud of what the area has achieved in staging the event.

He said: “It’s been such a privilege for me, to see all the community getting together to raise money, it’s made my job a lot easier.

“We’ve held so many events during the past year, from wine tasting evenings to clay pigeon shooting and raffles. One lady, Christine, has made a jigsaw with local scenery.

She’s raised about £6,000 to £7,000 for the committee, which is a phenomenal amount!

“We had a fantastic concert at Llanengan Church; it was such a thrill to listen to 17 harps play under the conductorship of Alwena Roberts. Another personal highlight is our Thursday afternoon club where we invite someone to speak each week. It’s been fantastic raising money for the festival, whilst having fun. I’ve made so many new friends through the festival.”

Ken has lived in Pentrefelin for the past 25 years, and feels Llyn and Eifionydd has a rich cerdd dant tradition.

He added: “There are so many people in the area who have grown up with the cerdd dant tradition, and still take an active part in cerdd dant performances and events. I’ve been very lucky to have such an enthusiastic team with huge knowledge of cerdd dant.”

Ken, who worked as head teacher of primary school Ysgol Eifion Wyn, Porthmadog for 24 years, feels that schools throughout Wales should do more to promote cerdd dant.

“Today there’s a huge emphasis on specific subjects and school education, and traditional culture seems to be pushed aside. I believe that Welsh schools should have a balance between education and heritage. Art brings us together as a nation, and that’s so important. When I was head teacher, I used to ask Carys Jones from Chwilog to teach cerdd dant to the pupils, it’s so important for children to understand their heritage.”

Coverage of the event will be shown on S4C at 2pm, 8.30pm and 11.30pm on the day or you can follow the event live all day online at s4c.cymru