Diwrnod Shwmae 2026 | Ben Pritchard
Being Welsh, to me, is something I feel deep in my heart. It’s a sense of belonging, an identity that runs through generations, and a connection to the land, the people and the history that have shaped who we are.
It’s in the valleys and mountains, the coastline and the countryside. It’s in the sound of a choir singing, the warmth of a community coming together, the laughter in a local pub, and the way people will stand beside you when times are hard. It’s in the little things that might seem ordinary to others but mean everything to us.
Being Welsh is about belonging to a nation that has held on to its identity, its culture and its traditions through so much. It’s about the strength, resilience, humour and determination of our people. We’ve faced challenges, but we’ve never lost that sense of who we are.
It’s about our language, our music, our history and our heritage, but it’s also about the Wales we create today and the Wales we leave for the generations who come after us.
To me, being Welsh isn’t about being better than anyone else. It’s about knowing where you come from, respecting those who came before you, caring about the place you call home, and feeling proud to be part of something bigger than yourself.
It’s about having hiraeth, that deep, sometimes unexplainable longing for home, for familiar places, for the people and memories that make us who we are.
And perhaps most of all, being Welsh is something you don’t always need words to explain. It’s something you feel. It’s that quiet pride when you hear our anthem, that lump in your throat when Wales comes together, and that sense of connection that stays with you wherever life takes you.
I am Welsh, not just because of where I come from, but because of what Wales means to me. It is part of my roots, part of my identity and part of my heart. And wherever I go, a part of Wales goes with me.
Ben Pritchard, Para Rowing
Ein Cynnig Cymraeg
(Our Welsh Offer)
The Cynnig Cymraeg (Welsh Offer) is the official recognition of the Welsh Language Commissioner and is given to organisations that have supported the Commissioner’s long-term plan to ensure people can use the Welsh language in all aspects of their lives, in all parts of Wales.
DSW have worked with the Welsh Language Commissioner's office to plan our organisation's Welsh language provision. Contact us to find out more about accessing our services through the Welsh language.
