Faithful Butetown

We offer a fascinating glimpse into a vibrant community and a wonderful learning opportunity with our Faithful Butetown Discovery Days for Schools.

Butetown in Cardiff is one of the oldest multicultural communities in the country. The nineteenth century industrial boom meant that by 1840—in just a few years—Cardiff grew from a small town with a population of 1,870 to 10,000. As the docks expanded, exporting coal and steel, workers from across the world sailed in.  Many settled here, bringing their traditions, cultures and religion.

By the 1950s there would be as many as 57 different nationalities including Norwegian, Somali, Yemeni, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Caribbean, and Irish, with over 50 different languages spoken here.

Discovery Days for Schools

We can create an itinerary that suits your time and needs. Throughout the day, learners could experience different living places of worship including St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, St Mary the Virgin (Anglican) Church, Vine Community Church, Maria Street Mosque, South Wales Islamic Centre and Ty Krishna.

We can also arrange a performance of the Interactive play, A Journey through Butetown, about Betty Campbell, the first black Headteacher in Wales and who lived and worked here in Butetown and worshipped at St Mary’s Church! We can also arrange some time at Betty’s statue at Central Square in the city centre.

Citizens of the World

With such a rich history of multiculturism, we are ideally placed here in Butetown to help you deliver, in particular, one of the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales 2020 “to develop children and young people as ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world.”

Our Discovery Days can be as flexible as you need them to be, depending on your time and the particular sub-lense of the curriculum you are exploring, and will be delivered in an age-appropriate way according to your Key Stage.

Whether you want to explore what can form identity and how these influence people and their communities, help develop an awareness of faith   identity, explore the diversity within and between communities, or explore the question, ’What makes people who they are?’ our Discovery Day may be just the resource for you.

For those who visit Cardiff Bay, there will be many familiar sights and sounds but we can help you dig deeper by exploring that sense of place and belonging which has shaped and continues to shape the landscape.

Learning Opportunities

• Social, cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism
• Communities and diversity
• Identity and belonging
• Migration and Refugees
• Multiculturism and Black History
• Global Citizenship
• The Welsh Language

Facilities

• Parking for mini-buses and cars can be made available at St Mary’s Church.
• Coach Drivers will need to make their own arrangements to park nearby.
• We are about five minutes’ walk from Cardiff Central Station.
• A toilet is available at St Mary’s Church. More facilities may be available at St Mary’s (Church in Wales) Primary School which is next to the church.

Please note: due to local circumstances, we cannot always guarantee that every building will be accessible.

Important Information

Information about Safeguarding, Risk Assessments, Access and Special educational Needs are available separately.

Cardiff Stories

The Betty Campbell Play features in this film created during Refugee Week 2023 and shot at St Mary’s School:

Faithful Cardiff

You can get more insight into the wider ‘Faithful Butetown’ initiative at our self guided walks page through Butetown, the Bay and parts of the city centre.