Matthew Minshull, 18, finished third in the prestigious competition. Phoebe Skinner from Cardiff was crowned the winner with Kiera Jones from Merthyr Tydfil in second. Competitions judge Jason Mohammad emphasised the importance of the Welsh language during the event with the winner revealed in a special ceremony broadcast live from the Urdd’s Residential Centre in Llangrannog. Jason Mohammad said: As someone who has learned the language, it was an honour to be asked by the Urdd to judge the main Welsh Learner competition. “I’m happy to say that I use the Welsh language every day. Our children speak Welsh and I sometimes speak Welsh on Radio 2… The reason I talk about my experiences with the language is very simple: it is vital for the future of the language and the country that we hear stories like these. People who have worked hard at school, college, and university to learn the language and more importantly – use the language every day. These incredible peo