Bringing National Service Stories to Life in Schools Across Wales

Age Cymru Dyfed is proud to be working in partnership with the National Library of Wales and People’s Collection Wales on an exciting education project that brings the voices of National Service veterans into classrooms across Wales.

The project builds on Age Cymru Dyfed’s existing bilingual National Service Stories initiative, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which captures and preserves the experiences of veterans for future generations. As part of this next phase, new training materials are being developed for schools, designed to help young people engage with and learn from these important personal histories.

The resources will be officially badged as a joint partnership between the National Library of Wales, People’s Collection Wales and Age Cymru Dyfed, reflecting the shared commitment to preserving and sharing lived experiences of service.

As part of the development process, Age Cymru Dyfed and project partners have been working closely with Guto Morgan, Education Officer at the National Library of Wales, to shape meaningful learning experiences for pupils. One particularly special idea was to involve local school pupils directly in interviewing veterans, helping to bring history to life through real conversation and connection.

That idea became a reality this week.

A memorable interview took place between National Service veteran Norman Kenney (89) and Lyra Morgan (13), a pupil at Penweddig School in Aberystwyth. The interview was conducted in English, with Lyra later giving a short reflection in Welsh, sharing what she had learned from speaking with Norman.

The session was a powerful exchange between generations, offering Lyra a unique opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of National Service while giving Norman the chance to share his experiences with a younger audience.

The interview was captured on camera and forms part of the ongoing development of the project’s educational resources. Additional photographs were also taken, but this particular image beautifully captures the spirit of the day and the importance of intergenerational learning.

This is just one example of how the National Service Stories project continues to grow, ensuring that the experiences of veterans are not only preserved but also actively used to inspire and educate young people across Wales.