How does our retreat in Wales help to establish community links?
At Bryn Tanat Hall, we love engaging in initiatives that involve the local community. Recently, we partnered with a local Welsh primary school to celebrate National Storytelling Week with a short story competition.
Keep reading to discover how we encouraged creativity and imagination through storytelling:
Retreat in Wales | Celebrating National Days
Retreat in Wales | Celebrating National DaysBryn Tanat Hall is a luxury retreat in Wales located in the heart of Llansantffraid.
Situated amongst 15 acres of rolling woodlands, our 5-star accommodation overlooks the River Tanat, Meifod Valley, and beyond.
To celebrate National Storytelling Week, we organised a short story competition for a local primary school. Due to our idyllic setting, we encouraged students to share creative stories about the stunning, picturesque landscape of mid-Wales.
Retreat in Wales | Our Collaboration with a Local Primary School
Our retreat in Wales partnered with Llansantffraid Church in Wales Primary School to encourage students to submit a story between 100-500 words.
Our goal was to foster creativity and imagination through the wondrous art of storytelling.
After receiving multiple entries, we decided to open up the competition to other schools and primary-aged children in the local area to involve the entire community.
Retreat in Wales | About the Competition
Open to children aged 11 and under, we wanted to hear young people’s creative perspectives on the region’s scenery, wildlife, and natural hot spots. We thought this would provide a fresh and unique viewpoint on the local community and its offerings.
Entries to the competition could be either fiction or nonfiction, penned like a novel or with inspiration taken from famous Welsh poets, such as Dylan Thomas.
We awarded bonus marks to budding storytellers that successfully tied their masterpieces to our luxury retreat in Wales!
Announcing The Winners
We’re delighted to reveal that the winners of our short story-writing competition are Connie Yapp (Year 3), Freya Jones (Year 4) and Joseph James (Year 2).
Connie penned a creative story about the ‘judo cats of Llansantffraid’, Freya wrote a heartwarming, moralistic tale about keeping our area clean and litter-free, and Joseph ventured down the fantasy route, with a fairytale retelling of Bryn Tanat’s origin story.
To thank our creative participants, our first-place winner received a £20 gift voucher for Booka Bookshop, and Booka kindly donated a book each for the second and third-place winners. Booka is an independent bookshop and cafe in the border market town of Oswestry.
A Note From The Organisers
Discussing the short story competition, Kirsty Martin, of Bryn Tanat Hall, said: “Being located in the heart of the Welsh countryside, we have always benefited from the creativity and inspiration that the local landscape brings, and we’re excited to see how this influences the stories produced.
“We’re looking for innovative and inspiring stories that sell the beauty of the area, and inspire people to visit this part of the UK. We’re looking for those secret spots and tales that only someone who lives here would know.”
Mrs Morris, the headteacher of Llansantffraid Church in Wales Primary School, said: “Our pupils are always up for a challenge, and were delighted to be asked to take part in the storytelling competition. It’s also important for the children to take time to reflect and be appreciative of their local surroundings.”
To book a stay, or find out more about our retreat in Wales, please contact a member of our team.
Alternatively, why not read our previous blog to discover some stunning hiking trails in Wales?
