May 15, 2026 - 179 views
North Wales housing associations are joining forces at this year’s Eisteddfod yr Urdd to celebrate Welsh culture, community spirit and career opportunities for young people.
Five major housing associations – Adra, Cartrefi Conwy, ClwydAlyn, Grŵp Cynefin and North Wales Housing – have teamed up to create a community-focused exhibition stand at the week-long festival, which takes place from May 23-29 at the Anglesey Agricultural Showground.
The organisations, which collectively own and manage more than 25,000 homes across north and mid Wales, say the partnership highlights the important role housing associations play in supporting communities beyond simply providing homes.
Visitors to the stand will be able to enjoy a range of free family-friendly activities throughout the festival, including face-painting, interactive music workshops with Band Bwced, crafts and the chance to tackle the interactive “Cyclone” challenge to win prizes.
The stand will also offer rehearsal space for performers taking part in competitions during the festival.
Alongside the entertainment, the housing associations will use the event to promote career opportunities within the housing sector, showcasing roles ranging from construction and plumbing to communications, finance, housing management and community support.
Clare Budden, chief executive of ClwydAlyn, said the organisations were looking forward to creating “a place for our communities to meet, celebrate and enjoy all that this year’s Eisteddfod yr Urdd has to offer”.
She added: “We’re looking forward to meeting visitors, competitors, and residents from across Wales, and sharing some very special moments with our communities.
“And of course, anyone who would like to explore the idea of working within one of our organisations is welcome to chat to the team about the enormous variety of career options that the housing sector has to offer.”
Mel Evans, chief executive of Grŵp Cynefin, said the event was an ideal platform to inspire young people.
He said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming hundreds of young people to our unit and showing that the housing sector offers careers which make a difference, in their own communities – whether it’s in plumbing, construction, finance or marketing.”
Helena Kirk, chief executive of North Wales Housing, said the partnership demonstrated the strength of collaboration across the region.
She said: “The Eisteddfod yr Urdd is a wonderful celebration of Welsh culture, community and the next generation, and we’re proud to be part of this year’s Eisteddfod in Ynys Môn.”
Iwan Trefor Jones, chief executive of Adra, said the festival also offered an opportunity to highlight the growing need for affordable housing across Wales.
He said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the positive impact we have on our communities, to highlight the importance of delivering more affordable homes for local people, and to underline our shared commitment to meeting the growing demand for affordable housing.”
The annual Eisteddfod yr Urdd is recognised as Europe’s largest touring youth festival and is expected to attract more than 90,000 visitors this year, with over 15,000 competitors taking part in competitions ranging from singing and dancing to theatre, art and design.
Housing associations across Wales currently provide homes to around 10 per cent of the Welsh population and manage more than 154,000 social housing properties nationwide, while directly supporting around 23,000 jobs across the sector.
