Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has been seeing at first-hand what an outdoor centre has to offer.
Mr Rowlands, whose Outdoor Education Bill is currently going through Welsh Parliament, tried his hand at white water rafting at the national centre in Bala.
He said:
It was fantastic to see the facilities and opportunities the centre provides in delivering outdoor education which leads to long-lasting benefits for our future generations. I particularly enjoyed taking part in white water rafting.
It was also great to talk to people who run these courses and can see how much young people get from the various activities.
As everyone knows, I passionately believe in outdoor education for all our young people yet sadly, too many of them do not get the opportunity to participate.
I have an aspiration that all children in Wales should be given access to an Outdoor Education residential visit at least once in their school career, regardless of where they live and their family background and that is why I proposed the Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill.
Its aim is to move residential outdoor education from an enrichment activity to an entitlement within Wales’ curriculum.
The National White Water Centre for Wales is based near Bala in North Wales. It developed the first commercial white water rafting operation in the UK in 1986, and since then has grown to become the largest and one of the most well-known rafting organisations in the UK.
Apart from offering the thrills and spills of white water rafting they also offer, kayaking, rescue training and canyoning.
Earlier this year Mr Rowlands launched a consultation on his proposal for an Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill, inviting people to give their views on the policy objectives of the proposed law. He has now launched a child and young person’s consultation on the Bill. This consultation is specifically aimed at hearing the views of children and young people. The consultation will be open until June 23 2023.
If the Bill becomes law it will require local authorities to ensure all young people receiving maintained education are provided with the opportunity to experience residential outdoor education at some stage during their school years.
The Bill will also make it a requirement for the Welsh Government to provide funding to schools to enable them to do so.
Sam Rowlands AS yn ymweld â’r Ganolfan Dŵr Gwyn Genedlaethol yn Nhryweryn
Mae Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, wedi bod yn gweld drosodd ei hun beth sydd gan y ganolfan awyr agored i'w gynnig.
Gyda'i Fesur Addysg Awyr Agored yn mynd drwy'r Senedd ar hyn o bryd, fe wnaeth Mr Rowlands roi cynnig ar rafftio dŵr gwyn yn y ganolfan genedlaethol ger y Bala.
Dywedodd:
Roedd yn wych gweld y cyfleusterau a'r cyfleoedd sydd ar gael yn y ganolfan wrth ddarparu addysg awyr agored sy'n arwain at fuddion hirhoedlog i genedlaethau'r dyfodol. Fe wnes i fwynhau’r rafftio dŵr gwyn yn arbennig.
Roedd hi hefyd yn braf siarad â'r rhai sy'n rhedeg y cyrsiau hyn a gallaf weld faint o fudd mae’r bobl ifanc yn ei gael o'r amrywiol weithgareddau.
Fel y gŵyr pawb, dwi'n credu'n angerddol mewn addysg awyr agored i'n holl bobl ifanc ond yn anffodus, dydy llawer ddim yn cael y cyfle i gymryd rhan.
Hoffwn weld pob plentyn yng Nghymru yn cael cyfle am ymweliad preswyl Addysg Awyr Agored o leiaf unwaith yn ystod eu dyddiau ysgol, waeth lle maen nhw'n byw a'u cefndir teuluol a dyna pam y cynigiais Fil Addysg Awyr Agored (Cymru).
Ei nod yw symud addysg breswyl awyr agored o fod yn weithgaredd cyfoethogi i fod yn hawl o fewn cwricwlwm Cymru.
Mae Canolfan Tryweryn wedi'i lleoli ger y Bala. Datblygodd y gwaith rafftio dŵr gwyn masnachol cyntaf yn y DU ym 1986, ac ers hynny mae wedi tyfu i fod yn un o’r sefydliadau rafftio mwyaf adnabyddus yn y DU.
Ar wahân i gynnig y wefr a'r cyffro o rafftio dŵr gwyn, maen nhw hefyd yn cynnig, caiacio, hyfforddiant achub a cherdded ceunentydd.
Yn gynharach eleni fe lansiodd Mr Rowlands ymgynghoriad ar ei gynnig ar gyfer Bil Addysg Awyr Agored (Cymru), gan wahodd pobl i fynegi barn ar amcanion polisi'r gyfraith arfaethedig. Mae bellach wedi lansio ymgynghoriad i blant a phobl ifanc ar y Bil. Mae'r ymgynghoriad hwn wedi'i anelu'n benodol at glywed barn plant a phobl ifanc. Bydd yr ymgynghoriad ar agor tan 23 Mehefin 2023.
Os daw'r Bil yn gyfraith, bydd yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i awdurdodau lleol sicrhau bod pob person ifanc sy'n derbyn addysg a gynhelir yn cael y cyfle i brofi addysg breswyl awyr agored ar ryw adeg yn ystod eu cyfnod yn yr ysgol.
Ar ben hynny, bydd y Bil yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i Lywodraeth Cymru ddarparu cyllid i ysgolion i'w galluogi i wneud hynny.
