A Gwynedd student who grew up in London and Caerphilly is the first ever winner of the Anne Brooke Scholarship to support Welsh language students.

Darcey Erin has won the Coleg Cymraeg administered scholarship for undergraduate students studying Welsh (first or second language) at a Welsh university.

Darcey, studying Welsh at Bangor, said receiving the scholarship was “a real honour”, adding: “My early upbringing was in a bilingual home in London and I attended a nursery where over 30 languages ​​were heard.

“After moving to Wales, I was disappointed when I realised I was in the minority, as my peers often turned to English. This strengthened my passion for Welsh and my desire to study it and to make it central to my life and career.”

The Anne Brooke Scholarship is given in memory of the American author who learned Welsh and settled in the Rhondda. She published a number of Welsh language children’s books to support non-Welsh speaking parents to read with their children, including ‘Plant y Goedwig’, ‘Mabon a Mabli’ and ‘Storïau’r Sosban Fawr’.

The scholarship was established by Coleg Cymraeg after her nephew, Peyton Robertson, made a generous donation.

Peyton congratulated Darcey, and said: “I know my Aunt would be very pleased to see her lifelong effort to

preserve the Welsh language carried forward through Darcey’s sincere interest in studying and using Welsh as part of her career growth and development.”

Darcey added: “Anne’s story is inspiring, and as someone who comes from the same area in Wales, I hope I can do my part to motivate young people in my area to use their Welsh skills and continue with Welsh-medium education after leaving school.”

The scholarship, worth £1,000 per year for up to three years, will be awarded annually.

Applications for 2027-2028 are open at https://colegcymraeg.ac.uk/myfyrwyr/prifysgol/ysgoloriaethau/ before 20 January.