Teacher Lucy Cowley Named 2025 Welsh Learner of Year at Wrexham Eisteddfod

Lucy Cowley, a school teacher from Llangollen originally from Is-y-Coed, Wrexham, has been named the 2025 Welsh Learner of the Year at the National Eisteddfod. Despite initially speaking with an English accent and lacking confidence in Welsh, she developed a passion for the language through her teaching work and has since taken courses and incorporated Welsh into her classroom. Cowley also founded a Welsh discussion group in Llangollen that draws learners from diverse backgrounds. Her grandparents were refugees from Poland and Ukraine, adding a personal dimension to her commitment to Welsh. She received the Learner of the Year Trophy and a £300 prize at a ceremony on the Pavilion stage, with three other finalists awarded £100 each. Cowley plans to continue her Welsh studies and hopes to offer jewelry-making lessons in Welsh, blending her educational and artistic interests.