Welsh learners will get the opportunity to practice their skills in the language in a social setting with Clwb Clebran.

The group, which has been running for ten years, comes together every week at Saith Seren creating a space for learners, or anyone who wants to practice their Welsh to do so outside of a classroom.

One of the group members, Deb Murray is a Welsh learner, having studied the language at A-level over 20 years ago and wanted to build her confidence in using it day-to-day when her son started secondary school.

She said: “What I found most daunting was I was fine in class but if I had the opportunity to speak Welsh outside of class I’d freeze and I’d forget everything and I’d panic.”

Joining the club, she said, has helped her confidence and while it helps to have an understanding of conversational Welsh, the club is for everyone of all different abilities.

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Deb recommends that anyone who is a complete beginner may benefit from coming along and listening to the first few meetings to help practice basics.

The Leader: Clwb Clebran together in Saith Seren Clwb Clebran together in Saith Seren (Image: Clwb Clebran)

A few group members are first-language Welsh speakers who do not have the opportunity to speak it at home, and others have travelled from Wigan, Elsmere Port, and Warrington to join the group and practice.

The group has also had members from Ireland and Scotland, as well as someone from Holland who had picked up the language via Duolingo.

Together the group learns new vocabulary and, with no set agenda on topics, treats the meetings the same as friends having a catch-up in the pub.

Wrexham AFC is one of the more common topics, with three members being season ticket holders. Quizzes and events are also held by Menter Iaith, which are tailored towards learners and have proven to be popular.

In total, around six to eight members regularly attend the meetings, but the group can draw up to 20 people at a time and is looking to get more involved.

The group was created on the basis of there being no judgment in a person’s ability to speak Welsh, and also helping to curb the fear of making a mistake in the language.

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Deb says that during her first meeting, she was so nervous that she hid behind her husband, who had attended a Welsh medium school, but is now confident and attends without him.

Despite her education in the language, Deb said that she felt as though she couldn’t speak any Welsh by the time she attended Bangor University, where there were first-language Welsh speakers who “spoke so quick” and as a result felt it was daunting to speak Welsh with those who are fluent.

She said: “I wanted my son not to have the same hang-ups as my husband who went to a Welsh school, where using Welsh outside the classroom or outside school panics you and I thought ‘I need to get rid of the panic when I speak Welsh’.

“It’s really built up my confidence and now when I’m holidaying in Anglesey or Caernarfon I’ll start conversations in Welsh and I love bumping into Welsh speakers!”

Clwb Clebran is held on Thursdays from 7.30 pm at Saith Seren.

They can be found on Facebook here.