Of course it's not the winning that's all important in competitions such as this, but the knowledge that I am truly helping my Adult Learners to engage with, enjoy, and help keep yr iaith Gymraeg alive! The wonderful nominations I received from learners this year go as follows. I thank them, and all those I teach, from the bottom of my heart. "Diolch o galon i chi i gyd."

Mr Gareth H: "Dr Patrick Jemmer was the tutor for the Dysgu Cymraeg Mynediad Adolygu course, once a week over six weeks, in July – August 2023.  Patrick had a very innovative approach to each lesson, the ‘Ice breaker’ of idioms each day and the explanations of meaning as opposed to literal meaning piqued everybody's interest from the first minutes of the session, this set a level of energy in the group that I’d never experienced in all of the on-line ‘zoom’ sessions, that I’d previously participated in with other tutors.  We covered the whole course requirements at a very comfortable pace, I felt very relaxed and thoroughly supported by Patrick, I enjoyed the whole course immensely, and did not feel stressed and frustrated with myself as I have on other courses. Throughout the week, we all received quite unique and very strategic tips and advice on learning and understanding the language, both on a group and individual level. Each day’s lesson had very refreshing and timely cultural and literary interludes. The learning support materials produced by Patrick were amazing, interested, well presented and were obviously the result of a lot of research and hard work. We all received daily communication after the course with detailed explanations of the day’s work, reinforcing the knowledge that had been imparted that day, preparing us all for the following day.  The inclusion and practise on typical Mynediad level exam paper questions was appreciated by all, and served to increase the group’s overall confidence even further. When Patrick informed the class to contact him with any requests or queries after each days course, he really meant it, you could sense the personal desire to help people and impart knowledge.  I would not hesitate to enrol on another learning course with Patrick if a future opportunity arose. Diolch yn fawr, a Hwyl am y tro!"

Ms Helen D: "I’m nominating Dr Patrick Jemmer for an Inspire! Tutor award because, quite simply, without Patrick’s unequalled passion for teaching and support I would not still be learning Welsh. It’s over 40 years since I took a language class. I didn’t enjoy it then, and when I joined the course I was so nervous it felt like going to the dentist! I resolved to just be an observer. However, Patrick immediately put me at ease. I was able to participate in class, and enjoy it! As Welsh isn’t his first language, he understands what my experience might be like and his empathy helped me overcome my lack of self-confidence. Patrick is everything you’d expect from an outstanding tutor – approachable, knowledgeable, responsive – but I’m nominating him for the things that set him apart from other tutors I’ve had (in subjects from scuba diving to homeopathy). Firstly, his preparation and course materials are second to none so his classes run very smoothly and efficiently, maximising the time for practising patterns and speaking Welsh. Perhaps most importantly, his classes are always interesting and dynamic, which means he manages to satisfy the needs of all our class which is quite diverse in terms of ability. Patrick is extremely passionate about the Welsh language and Wales, and seamlessly weaves in information about history, culture and evolution of the language. For me, this has created an emotional connection to Wales and the language that I hadn’t expected to gain from the course. Through Patrick’s teaching, I realised speaking Welsh will help me feel part of my community. This has given me a strong reason to learn, and he’s made the difference between this being a short-term hobby and a lifelong interest in learning. Patrick encouraged us to set up a community to practise together. He always goes beyond what’s expected and generously shares his innovative course materials. This gives us an excellent structure for practising conversation on our own, and makes a huge impact on our language development. Patrick encourages us to speak Welsh at every opportunity, I’ve surprised myself by using my still limited Welsh in shops and cafes. Thanks to Patrick, I’m overcoming my shyness and fear of making mistakes. When our course began, there was a possibility it wouldn’t continue. Individually and collectively, our class realised we had something special and we took action as we didn’t want to lose the opportunity to study with Patrick. For example, a student wrote to the university and I encouraged my husband to join. With our joint efforts, we were delighted to continue but I don’t believe we would’ve acted for a different tutor. Finally, Patrick’s passion and enthusiasm for learning Welsh is infectious. My husband and I were discussing learning Welsh with neighbours who study with Duolingo. They were all impressed by our enthusiasm and how much we enjoy Patrick’s lessons, and several are now considering joining Dysgu Cymraeg classes. Patrick’s influence is reaching beyond his classroom, with his students starting to become ambassadors for learning, and this is the mark of a truly inspirational tutor."

Mr Ian D: "After a few weeks of my wife’s course, the class numbers were struggling which threatened its continuation. I had been very impressed by what I had seen of the course so decided to apply to join Patrick’s course which I did in November 2023. I have had a few months learning with Patrick and really enjoy his style of teaching and greatly appreciate the additional teaching material that Patrick provides which significantly benefits my learning. Since joining Patrick’s course, my Welsh has come on leaps and bounds, as has my interest in continuing to learn Welsh. Patrick has the ability to build a strong rapport with the class (even over Zoom) and this has created a sense of community within our group which enriches the whole experience. I also find that Patrick is excellent at motivating me to find the time to learn which is down to his passion for Welsh, his encouragement and support, and teaching approach. I am certain that even when life and work get in the way, I will still make the time to complete the course which is really down to Patrick so thank you to him for that! I plan to continue learning Welsh and sign up for the next level course, and I have a strong preference to join the course that Patrick will be teaching. He has made a huge difference to both my enjoyment and commitment to learning Welsh and I want to continue my learning journey with him. Patrick is a tutor who makes a noticeable impact on his students, helping us to succeed in learning Welsh and enjoy the experience, and this is why I am nominating Patrick Jemmer for an Inspire! award."

Ms Isabel S: "I’d like to nominate my teacher Patrick who has renewed my confidence in language learning after a long time away. I come from a background as a linguist, with a degree from Cambridge in Modern Languages, but have come to study Welsh later in life for family reasons. My language learning brain is extremely rusty! After a couple of attempts with different teachers, I found new styles of language learning online difficult to get to grips with. Things are really starting to sink in under Patrick’s watch, and I now feel confident aiming for some degree of fluency in Welsh, something which is very important to me with young children living in Swansea. Learning a new skill is a big thing for me. After four years a parent-carer to a child with a life-limiting condition, who died last year, taking on anything new is a big step. It’s fantastic to have the distraction from grief that learning a language provides. Patrick’s commitment to teaching Welsh makes it feel all the more worthwhile. Patrick is an excellent teacher and aims high for all his students. He strikes a very good balance between making classes achievable and ambitious. He is light-hearted and motivating and keeps everyone’s attention during class. His grammatical and linguistic knowledge is clearly very strong and he is ready to offer extra detail and context where needed. He is clearly a polymath with a very rigorous academic background and this shows in his classes, without him ever drawing attention to it. With little extra time for my studies beyond Patrick’s class, he consolidates each module thoroughly and I leave feeling that progress has been made.  Patrick has devised slides which aid the repetition necessary for the different patterns to really sink in/stick in your brain. This suits my style of learning very well and makes the very most out of a 2.5 hour weekly lesson Having been nervous to pick up a new language and taking on the commitment, Patrick has inspired me to keep going. It has also led me to explore Welsh education for my pre-school age children more seriously, with the confidence that I can learn alongside them."

Mr Josh W: "Dr Jemmer has made the process of learning Welsh as an adult straightforward and yet thoroughly enjoyable from the outset. I believe that once I complete the current Mynediad 1+2 course in the summer of 2024 I will be ideally prepared to go on and continue learning Welsh until I reach a level of relative fluency over the next few years. My lessons with Dr Jemmer are all online. I was unsure about how effective this format would be prior to taking the course, but after the first session had ended, I no longer had any doubts, thanks to Dr Jemmer’s ability to make all the participants feel at ease. Furthermore, when the class I had initially registered for was unable to continue due to insufficient numbers, I was welcomed into another class by Dr Jemmer with no hesitation, which makes me feel valued by the tutor. Dr Jemmer’s teaching methods ensure that everybody in the class is given an equal amount of time and support and nobody is left behind; this is particularly important in such an intensive course. In addition, we are encouraged to complete and submit homework every week, and Dr Jemmer always makes the time to mark this homework, and he also offers constructive feedback each time. In summary, I cannot recommend Dr Jemmer highly enough. Before taking this class, I had forgotten almost everything that I had learned of Welsh up to Key Stage 3 in school. I was unsure if I was going to be able to pick it up again easily, but I know that I am in a great position with this tutor delivering these classes."

Ms Olga R (Russia): "Learning has always been my passion. Many years have passed since I saw some of my tutors, but I still remember each of them and appreciate the amount of dedication, passion, kindness and of course professionalism they put into teaching me and many other students. Never have I thought I would be a nominator for such a high award. With gratitude and confidence, I would like to recommend Dr. Patrick Jemmer for Inspire! Tutor Awards 2024. Since I spent many years studying foreign languages, I think I might know what distinguishes a good tutor from a bad one. I’ve just started my journey through the Welsh language and now I am certain I will continue until I reach the advanced level. But I vividly remember being afraid of my first class (being highly-sensitive, introverted and not a native English speaker surely didn’t help the case). And then what happened? Just after a few hours I forgot about giving up. I think that just after one lesson students leave Patrick’s classroom (we have zoom-sessions) feeling ready to dive into the new language. Patrick is so supportive to all the students (many of them have no experience of studying new languages), has a great sense of humor and what is more important, empathy.. It impresses me how confident he is in his students’ success. Patrick implements the method of “taking one step at a time” and just after a few classes we were shocked that we might be named “Welsh speakers” (even if a little ones). Through my academic life I saw a fair share of teachers who just opened a course book and went from the first to the last page without adding anything. Patrick goes beyond what is expected of him and creates a lot of additional materials which then he shares with us for future reference. Moreover, he encourages us to use the language outside the classroom even at our beginner level. Because of such a warm class atmosphere we even managed to create a students’ chat where we practice Welsh, share tips and tricks and much more. All this would be impossible without the Patrick’s support. In my opinion, a truly talented tutor isn’t someone who just “knows how to speak the language”. It’s a person who knows the right path to the heart of the language, helps to overcome all the obstacles (self-doubt, fear of speaking, the language barrier and the language plateau) and come out a winner. A truly talented teacher knows how to show the beauty of language from the first stage of learning. And that is all who Patrick is. Welsh is not his first language and that is even more valuable because he knows all the students’ problems and fears and has first-hand experience with them. I still can’t believe how truly beautiful Welsh is and I hope to bring this knowledge to Russian-speaking people and of course to encourage British to learn the language. It all would be absolutely impossible without Dr. Patrick Jemmer!"

Mrs Valerie H: "I first met Patrick during my first attempts at learning Welsh on an intensive Mynediad course. He provided an extensive range of additional learning materials for us complete learners. I recognise that this in itself is an extremely difficult task as the learning journey of the students is just beginning . I was inspired to continue learning Welsh and have now completed the Sylfaen examination for Adults and am following the Canolradd course. I came across Patrick again when I was looking for additional conversation practice ahead of the Sylfaen examination via his StudyHelpUk.co.uk web site. That is Patrick is providing private educational / tuition services to me, separate from all the work he is currently doing teaching Welsh to Adults at Swansea University. Basically we chat in Welsh for an hour a week. I find his approach to learning new vocabulary exceptionally inspiring. His love of the semantics of the Welsh language has enabled me to build up a considerable vocabulary based on the roots of individual words and the word groups that this creates. Under his guidance my knowledge of the Welsh language and its very individual characteristics has increased dramatically. He has also acted as a sounding board in Welsh for the subject of my upcoming Masters dissertation. For this input I am extremely grateful."

I was very honoured to be nominated for the St David Award (in the category of Culture) in 2023. The St David Awards are the national awards of Wales and are nominated for by the public. I was supported by students (adult learners as well as A-Level and GCSE tutees), and attendees at Swansea Philosophy / Athroniaeth Abertawe events. I am extremely grateful and humbled for the consideration shown me by those who took the time and trouble to put my name forward for this prestigious prize.

Of course it's not the winning that's all important in competitions such as this, but the knowledge that I am truly helping my adult learners, my younger tutees, and all those engaging thoughtfully, humanely and collegially with ideas of all kinds through Swansea Philosophy / Athroniaeth Abertawe, to grow, develop, and thrive yng Nghymru. Some of the  nominations I was extremely honoured to have received for this Award are reproduced below. I thank the nominators, and all my friends and supporters, from the bottom of my heart. "Diolch o galon i chi i gyd."

Mr Martyn W: "Dr Jemmer is a true polymath with a plethora of scientific and mathematical academic achievements along with a deep love and knowledge of Welsh culture, literature and the arts. Dr Jemmer lives in Swansea and teaches the Welsh language and culture in tandem with Swansea University.  He also teaches students from GCSE to undergraduates and beyond in mathematics and the sciences via his private teaching business “Study Help UK”. He is a regular contributor of poetry to the South Wales Evening Post. Dr Jemmer is self-effacing, extraordinarily motivational, wholly honourable and committed to the Welsh language and culture.I first met Dr Jemmer when I began my own journey to learn Welsh about 2 years ago. It was immediately apparent that I had ‘struck it lucky’ and had found a truly exceptional teacher with a genuine love of the language coupled with the technical skills to teach and the ability to motivate and engage fully with students according to their individual needs.  At the time I was unaware of Dr Jemmer’s background but it soon became apparent that I had been lucky to find a teacher with a considerable history of academic achievement and who has produced a considerable body of both prose and poetry in Welsh which I feel deserve to be noted as follows [Martyn goes on here to list various qualifiations I have acheived]. Dr Jemmer returned to Wales in 2012 and immersed himself in Welsh culture. He wanted to improve his writing skills and enrolled on a course on Creative Writing and Psychotherapy at Swansea University where he graduated with distinction. Since then he has combined his scientific background with his deep cultural interest and created a successful private teaching business “Study Help UK” that works well in tandem with his work as an associate tutor with the  University of Swansea. In addition to his academic achievements, Dr Jemmer has created a very large body of literary work – both poetry and prose, with many poems appearing in the South Wales Evening Post. He also won the Learners Prose Medal in the National Eisteddfod and also the Bard’s Chair in the Swansea Bay Learners Eisteddfod but, whilst all the above academic and cultural achievements point to his undoubted intellectual capacity, it is in the way he uses that knowledge and ability in his daily personal and professional life that is truly remarkable. Dr Jemmer is selflessly committed to the promotion of all things Welsh both in terms of the language and also Welsh Culture and the Arts. He has done a very great deal of voluntary work promoting the Welsh language as a translator, editor and contributor of creative writing via the “Parallel Cymru” website (detailed below) but, from my personal experience, it is as a tutor where he really excels. I came to the Welsh language with no previous experience of it and no particular aptitude for language learning. Welsh is not an easy language to learn but Dr Jemmer enthused me from our first contact. Excellence in teaching is often unrecognised and I am nominating Dr Jemmer for the St David’s Award in the hope of rectifying this to some degree. Dr Jemmer has a huge enthusiasm for the language but this enthusiasm is backed up by his creativity in adapting the curriculum and producing new materials, his ability to make complex ideas understandable and his ability to answer any question in depth. He makes learning a joy rather than a slog and provides almost instantaneous support to questions posed outside of the designated course hours. Dr Jemmer is truly dedicated to education and life-long learning and his enthusiasm, depth of knowledge and genuine interest in those he is teaching, plus his unfailing support makes the learning experience an absolute pleasure which will ultimately lead to it being successful for the students – and it is readily apparent that that success is Dr Jemmer’s aim. I am certain that Dr Jemmer is most worthy of this award. Knowledge is far from the only attribute that counts in education. Integrity, communication skills, sensitivity to the needs of others, a sense of humour and a genuine commitment to his students are all essential attributes that Dr Jemmer demonstrates in every contact. It is rare to find an individual so committed to the promotion of all aspects of their culture. I have found contact with him to be truly enriching and I believe he is a very worthy recipient of the St David’s Award."

Mr Chris R: "I am writing to you because I want to share the wonderful experience I have had whilst learning Welsh as a complete beginner with Dr Patrick Jemmer. Patrick has been working with me on Welsh (Entry Level / Lefel Mynediad) on Zoom since the summer of 2020. I should say that Patrick has been dealing with me privately on an individual basis, although I believe he has also taught many groups of adult learners at Swansea University highly successfully over the past three years. I live in Lancaster, and Patrick lives in his home-town of Swansea. He is a truly exceptional teacher, and his patience with my limitations, as well as his tactful firmness when I made mistakes, were conspicuous. I feel so strongly that Patrick deserves recognition for his abilities and hard work that I wish to bring the following facts to your attention. Dr Jemmer, a man of unfailing courtesy, is truly noteworthy not only for his professionalism but also for his modesty. It was largely by accident, and many months after our first encounter, that I discovered Patrick had as an undergraduate attended Trinity College Cambridge, and that after his first degree he went on to gain a doctorate in Mathematical Chemistry at Birmingham University, and then was a research fellow at Oxford, Exeter and Sussex Universities, and a Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics at Northumbria University. He himself went on to learn Welsh as an adult when he returned to Swansea in 2012 after being made redundant from his previous job. I have since found out that he has also lectured in philosophy for the Department of Continuing and Adult Education at Swansea University. He now provides free “community education” through his chairmanship of the “Swansea Philosophy/Athroniaeth Abertawe” discussion forum, and helps young people (from GCSE and A-Level students to those studying for undergraduate and Masters Degrees) achieve their academic and social potential through his self-employed business “Study Help UK” (bit.ly/StudyHelpUk). He has also done a very great deal of voluntary work to help promote the Welsh language (as a translator, editor, and contributor of original creative writing) through the pioneering bilingual (Welsh-English) magazine website “Parallel Cymru” (see www.parallel.cymru). He has published many poems in the South Wales Evening Post (see www.patrickjemmer.com). He won “Tlws Rhyddiaith y Dysgwyr” (the “Learners’ Prose Medal”) in the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and then “Y Gadair” (the “Bard’s Chair”) in the regional Bae Abertawe / Swansea Bay Learners’ Eisteddfod. He was recently nominated for an “Inspire! Tutor Award” for his contributions in Welsh teaching during the Covid Lockdown periods. I have no particular linguistic gifts, and my examination marks in French, Latin, German, and Greek, have never been above the level of mediocrity. In June 2022 I went as an external private student to sit the examination for the CBAC/WJEC Tystysgrif Mynediad mewn Cymraeg Ail Iaith at Swansea University. However, despite having been in contact with Patrick only via Zoom, I was quite astonished to pass with an overall mark of 367/400, that is 91.75% – but only as a result of Patrick’s excellent teaching. I must stress that I had no real conception of what it would take to learn Welsh so well at this level. Patrick has encouraged me, and enabled me, not just to “read and write” but to be able to listen, speak, and understand as well. We have also investigated some poetry, old proverbs, and a great deal of music in Welsh, since I really wanted to develop a “feeling for” the living culture of Wales. And indeed, Patrick has succeeded in giving me the “gift of language,” so that I can now really use Welsh to communicate – basically, but with confidence. And in doing this, he has done a great service to the language and culture of Wales, as well as to me! I am now in my seventy-fourth year, and I retired from working in a secondary school in 2005. I have had little contact with the university sector since the 1980s. That said, from my memories of Oxford and Leeds, it seems that tuition and lecturing always took second place to getting research published, even then. Underrating excellence in teaching in places of higher education is a real mistake. I feel most strongly that there should be awards (and rewards) for outstanding achievement in this most crucial part of the educational enterprise.  [...] And although all these comments have been made regarding the Welsh language, I believe Patrick’s talents extend much wider than that: note his background and ongoing contributions in physical science and mathematics, as well as to community engagement. I speak “o ddifri’ galon” when I say that Dr Patrick Jemmer is, without doubt, worthy of such an honour. It is not just knowledge that counts in education, but integrity, communication skills, sensitivity to others’ needs, a sense of humour, adaptability, and resilience. Patrick is a most impressive ambassador for every organization where he has previously worked or studied, and for his current organization of association (Swansea University, where he is an Associate Tutor on “zero-hours” terms). He has enriched my life immensely – and, I am absolutely sure, the lives of very many others – and therefore I strongly desire to commend him to you."

Prof CN: "Dr. Patrick Jemmer is an exceptionally gifted teacher, thinker, poet, and ambassador for the finest values of scientific and humanistic enquiry. His achievements across a great range of disciplines and fields have marked him out as eminently fitted for the conferral of an honour such as the St. David Award. His curriculum vitae is evidence enough of an intellect that far transcends the narrowly specialised interests that typify present-day academic culture. His teaching fully reflects that broadness of mind, along with his equally impressive qualities of dedication, enthusiasm, communicative flair, organisational skills, and promotion of inter-cultural diversity. Where does one begin in listing Dr. Jemmer’s manifold claims to be the top-placed candidate for this award? I first met Patrick through the Swansea Philosophy Café, a discussion-group that he’d been organising for several years. I went along as a recently retired academic philosopher in search of intellectual stimulus and found it to be, very much to his credit, a splendid forum for lively intellectual exchange amongst people of the most strikingly diverse interests, backgrounds, and reasons for attending. I then soon discovered just how deeply this reflected Patrick’s own remarkably multi-facetted yet also, on a longer view, purposive and intellectually coherent progress to date. What chiefly stands out is the fact that Patrick has managed like no other person of my acquaintance to combine high achievement in the physical sciences and the humanities, both at the highest levels of distinction. In that regard his c.v. speaks for itself: a history of advanced studies, research, publication, administrative roles, and – importantly – cross-disciplinary initiatives that could not be bettered as evidence of a thinker ideally qualified to nurture such gifts and ambitions in those fortunate enough to have him as teacher and guide. This goes along with his highly developed organisational skills, as shown by the proven success of online projects like ‘Study Help UK’, his very active involvement with DACE, the transformational impact of his mathematics teaching during his period at the Northumbria University, and – perhaps of greatest relevance for present purposes – what he has achieved since returning to Wales in 2012. In the latter respect it is again rather difficult to know just where to start! Probably best if I begin by stressing the immense value and significance of Patrick’s work in Welsh-language teaching, along with the involvement in creative writing projects that has been very much a part of it. There is nowadays a great deal of lip-service paid to inter-cultural and trans-linguistic initiatives but rather less in the way of actual resources, financial or institutional. Patrick’s work has been a shining instance of truly effective, deeply committed and long-sustained devotion to carrying those ideals into practice through teaching, research, and personal  example. I would specifically mention his work on the ‘Parallel Cymru’ website, the many group activities in creative writing (English and Welsh) that he has organised for students at various levels of attainment, his often very demanding editorial involvement in re-writing patient reports for local health authorities, and – above all – his extensive range of online (Zoom-based) tutorial provision at stages from GCSE to degree-level. Again, he is simply unrivalled in bringing such academically proven high gifts of intellectual attainment across such a range of disciplines to an audience far wider – and likelier to benefit from it – than most academics would ever envisage. What makes him so exceptional in this regard is the way he combines qualities that are seldom found in such close conjunction: expert knowledge with the keen desire to impart it to others; intellectual brilliance with generosity, humour and warmth; a science-trained intelligence with a humanities-nurtured capacity to see all around other people’s situations. In numerous conversations with him I have come to recognise this latter – the aim of mediating between ‘expert’ and ‘layperson’ spheres – as Patrick’s single strongest motivation. There is certainly no doubting his expert credentials. [CN here outlines some of his own academic background pertinent to the application]. I can therefore speak confidently when I say that no-one else I’ve come across in all that time has struck me as so effectively conjoining the kinds of specialist achievement witnessed by his work in mathematics and chemistry with such outstanding accomplishment in other (e.g., creative and educational) fields. I would therefore recommend Patrick to you as an exceptionally strong and in many ways a uniquely deserving candidate for this award."

Of course it's not the winning that's all important in competitions such as this, but the knowledge that I am truly helping my Adult Learners to engage with, enjoy, and help keep yr iaith Gymraeg alive! The wonderful nominations I received from learners this year go as follows. I thank them, and all those I teach, from the bottom of my heart. "Diolch o galon i chi i gyd."

Mr Martyn W: "Dr Jemmer has studied, worked and taught in the universities of Cambridge, Birmingham, Northumbria and Oxford. He returned to Wales in 2012 and immersed himself in Welsh culture. He wanted to improve his writing skills and enrolled on a course on Creative Writing and Psychotherapy at Swansea University where he graduated with distinction. Since then he has combined his scientific background with his deep cultural interest and created a successful private teaching business "Study Help" that works well in tandem with his work as an associate tutor with the University of Swansea. In addition to his academic achievements, Dr Jemmer has created a very large body of literary work - both poetry and prose, much of which has been published in the South Wales Evening Post. He also won the Learners Prose Medal in the National Eisteddfod and also the Bard's Chair in the Swansea Bay Learners Eisteddfod but, whilst all the above academic and cultural achievements point to his undoubted intellectual capacity, it is in the way he uses that knowledge and ability in his daily personal and professional life that is truly remarkable. Dr Jemmer is selflessly committed to the promotion of all things Welsh both in terms of the language and also Welsh Culture and the Arts. He does a very great deal of voluntary work promoting the Welsh language as a translator, editor and contributor of creative writing via the "Parallel Cymru" website (detailed below) but, from my personal experience, it is as a tutor where he really excels.I came to the Welsh language with no previous experience of it and no particular aptitude for language learning. Welsh is not an easy language to learn but Dr Jemmer enthused me from our first contact. Excellence in teaching is often unrecognised and I am nominating Dr Jemmer for the Inspire! Award in the hope of rectifying this to some degree. Dr Jemmer has a huge enthusiasm for the language but this enthusiasm is backed up by his creativity in adapting the curriculum and producing new materials, his ability to make complex ideas understandable and his ability to answer any question in depth. He makes learning a joy rather than a slog and provides almost instantaneous support to questions posed outside of the designated course hours. Dr Jemmer is truly dedicated to education and life-long learning and his enthusiasm, depth of knowledge and genuine interest in those he is teaching, plus his unfailing support makes the learning experience an absolute pleasure which will ultimately lead to it being successful for the students - and it is readily apparent that that success is Dr Jemmer's aim. I am certain that Dr Jemmer is most worthy of this award. Knowledge is far from the only attribute that counts in education. Integrity, communication skills, sensitivity to the needs of others, a sense of humour and a genuine commitment to his students are all essential attributes that Dr Jemmer demonstrates in every contact. It is rare to find an individual so committed to the promotion of all aspects of their culture. I have found contact with him to be truly enriching and I believe he is a very worthy recipient of an Inspire! Tutor award."

The following poems have either been published in the "poetry press," or have achieved  recognition in (inter)national poetry competitions.

Resilience and Connectivity through Poetry

[Parthian, 2021]

Honed spell explodes, well-machined, oil-primed;

Drowned knowledge wings afresh as wild-word blossoms,

Chimeric charges through furled aether climb,

Hoofed, jewelled, incensed, sear gist’s glossed existence,

Bore gimlet holes through every thought's quartz-grain;

Fuse crust to silica-sea, sweat-clammy oceans boil,

Summon that dragon that ties the sundered worlds,

Live amber-wire enthuse; out-thresh static birthing-signals;

Sprout doubtful seeds in heart-volcano ground;

Rain names upon the oath-sieve, uncoil syntax golden,

Your speech a brazen law: to mage alone beholden!

Charms ember-penetrate earth's passion-hallowed scales,

Coagulating, melting, coiling, setting right

Belief through action, base reconcile with noble;

Pool deep-gored blood-stream in hell's gory cauldron;

Light-spool white-feathered sacred sacrifice,

Fantastic prayer-flight's practised ornament;

Pearled incantations, swinish lead-wings laden,

With lusty cruel-iron voice, all destiny condense;

Words, lacerated copper-pink, and self-upholding,

Bind permafrost savanna to their wracking task:

Dark-matter weighty, unlace quivering cosmic flask!

[South Wales Evening Post: 31 July 2019 and 12 October 2019 as PM; "The Seventh Quarry" (Issue 32, Summer/Autumn 2020), edited by Peter Thabit Jones; a poetry magazine published in Swansea, Wales with an international perspective]

Blonde-tousled dream-child,

You channel a giggling stream,

Swimming-bath chlorined;

Joy follows your fluttering, as

You pollinate smiles,

And heart-nectar overflows;

Perfectly unformed fruit,

You drip from the bough,

Smelling of sunshine;

Beyond rainbow’s edge,

With unicorns dancing,

Banishing bed-time once more.

[South Wales Evening Post: 20 September 2018 as PM; "The Seventh Quarry" (Issue 32, Summer/Autumn 2020), edited by Peter Thabit Jones; a poetry magazine published in Swansea, Wales with an international perspective]

I labour to dilute the fact that, yesterday,

My vaporous thoughts condensed –

And amidst the steamy distillations,

I wetly dreamed I’d managed to perfect

Electric wooing of aluminium from crude ore:

With man-size graphite bricks as anodes,

Bathed in steel-shod cauldrons, live with

Cryolite lava, lined with refractory tiles:

The reckless oxygen hiss devours the slabs,

Recharging our fragile hothouse;

As seething metal swirls in lusty splendour,

Urged on by wanton tongues of lightning

– Some cackling villain’s acid-bath

For liquidating love.

Yes, I’ll always recall that bitter salt, charmed

With unyielding bauxite – screams blood-wrung

By caustic leaching, costs cork-screwing, earth-

Pulverizing stress – when I stumble,

Trench-blind, across lab-books and sketches,

Long declassified, but enticingly related

To our one-time tries at alchemical rebirth

– Reactions long spent, and best left submerged, in

Rust-sullied pools of love-sick sludge.

And so, having invested a lifetime

Failing to roll out economical ingots

Of that silvery stuff, light as it’s strong,

I size up with one last, cold calculation

My cage amongst the stunted shrubs;

In this, our post-industrial playground

– Mine-pocked, scrubbed-out by bilious juice,

Where the air’s forever fluorine-fouled

– And where, ensnared with you and your flue-gas,

I’m – entropically – X’ed…

[Creative Futures Literary Awards Competition 2018: Reached the shortlist of 18 out of 500 entries]

When I was a child, fresh on the vine

I wanted to grow into a fine fecund man so

my father would tend me, nourish me.

He claimed to be a keen gardener,

always grafting away in his secret shed with

his booze and his floozies, needing something

other than his roses to prick on, when

he wasn’t picking his huge hairy honk.

I was a queer fruit, a mutant, rather

like dad’s favourite flower,

the purple pansy: it must have been, as that’s

what he always punchily called me,

a man’s man’s way of

showing love through violence to

a shrinking violet.

No talking bollocks about footie or cars

could make my manhood sprout.

Like a true hoary-handed son of

exchanged-labour toil

he used to express his deepest feelings by

threshing the life out of me when he got back

from a hard day’s drinking and tab-toting

with my older, prodigal brother,

who shagged birds, sowing

his sterile seeds all over

the red-painted town.

Biology’s clock doesn’t stop, though.

Now the old man’s storm-birds have come

home to roost, fouling his lung loft

with nicotine filth. The cancer, they say,

keeps on generating, proliferating; slowly, silently –

his whole body a chemical temple

to manly excess. Sooner or later.

I suppose, he’ll be pushing up daisies: it must

be something to do with his green fingers,

and all the crap he’s sprouted over the years.

But out of this fertile muck I’ve grown brassy.

Harsh cutting back has made me strong, and

this weed has taken over the garden now.

So, for myself I flourish: a hybrid breed,

self-spawned – In the unlikeliest places

flowering – and

fucking.

[12th Welsh Poetry Competition (International English Language Poetry Contest) 2018

"Special mention" from the judge Sally Spedding]