Minister sees the art of communication in action on Abergele visit
09.02.2026
A Welsh Minister visited North Wales yesterday, to see how we are helping young people to communicate.
Dawn Bowden, Minister for Children and Social Care, was in Pentre Mawr Park, Abergele, to see Inclusive Communication in action. It’s an approach to communicating which helps as many people as possible to be included.
Our speech and language therapy (SLT team) has been part of the All-Wales ‘Talk With Me’ project. Across North Wales, communication boards have been installed in more than 300 parks. They display symbols with Welsh and English words to describe them. Another 50 have been placed in leisure centres and libraries.
The idea is that the boards allow children who are unable to use spoken words to interact with others. Research has shown that helping non-verbal children to interact more helps them build social relationships and improves their quality of life.
Clinical Speech and Language Therapist Sarah Hill, who has been leading on the project for our Health Board, said: "The boards are designed with visual symbols, with the written word in in both Welsh and English. This encourages adults and children to point to these symbols to help communication and interaction. Providing these boards in play parks aims to support inclusion for all children whilst at the park.
“We are delighted to welcome the Minister for Children and Social Care. The visit showcases the successes of this scheme across North Wales. This is a celebration of those who interact in different ways.”
The feedback in North Wales has been positive, with more than 90% of survey responses confirming how useful the boards are.
Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden, said: “The communication boards we see all around Wales are wonderful and powerful – they're helping children connect with their families, make friends and feel part of their community. I'm proud that Wales is leading the way on inclusive communication."
Working in partnership with councils has been a key part of the scheme. Pentre Mawr Park is owned and maintained by Conwy County Borough Council, just one of our partner across the region.
Cllr Trystan Lewis, Chair of Conwy County Borough Council, said: “We’re delighted to support this initiative and pleased to host these communication boards in play areas, libraries and leisure centres. Our facilities are for everyone to enjoy, and these boards provide an innovative, inclusive way to help children communicate and interact with those around them, helping to develop essential skills.”
Hywel Dda University Health Board was the first to roll-out the project. That pilot was so successful, it drove the scheme’s adoption across Wales.
More than 1,100 boards have been placed across the country, as part of the Welsh Government funded scheme.
We have launched our official WhatsApp channel to bring the latest Health Board news, updates, events and important information in your local area. Follow us here: Follow us on WhatsApp - Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board