„We’re a Competition, but Most Importantly a Celebration”
“We’re a competition, but most importantly we’re a celebration”, concluded Aled Rumble, Vice Chair of the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative (WHSI), the annual award ceremony. Welsh heritage, intriguing research and forgotten stories were indeed celebrated in the Swansea Waterfront Museum on 4 July, 2025. 12,000 pupils from all local authorities in Wales had participated in the contest. More than 90 schools were awarded with either cash prizes or experiences, such as archive workshops.
Huw Griffiths, chair of WHSI was deeply impressed by this year’s submissions: “The standard of work continues to rise, making the task of judging more demanding than ever, something reflected in the large number of projects placed in the highest category.”
However, not only schools were honoured for their research projects. Five year 12 and 13 students also received prizes for their individual research.
Reuben Dunstan was awarded for his research on the so-called “Red Lady” of Paviland, a 33,000 year old skeleton found in a cave near Swansea in 1823. The remains are the oldest known in Great Britain. They are currently stored at University of Oxford, but a campaign for the repatriation to Wales is running. Dunstan investigated how a return could be used to stimulate tourism in Wales and developed a concept for a visitor center.
Other prized works dealt with rural communities, folk medicine, and the history of a youth festival travelling through Wales.
2025 also marked the 35th anniversary of the Welsh History Schools Initiative. Griffiths praised this as “a truly remarkable milestone for a project that has thrived thanks to the dedication of its volunteers.” In the past 35, years the organisation was able to award more than one million pounds to Welsh schools that they can use for projects, trips and equipment.
The full list of prize winners can be found at the website of the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative.