Guidebook

Every year, Canllaw Online publishes a bumper guidebook packed with information on the essentials to life, the world and everything. The guidebook covers over 350 topics from A-Z, with the content evolving every year to reflect social and cultural change and progression. Approximately 35,000 young people of school leaving age each year are entitled to the publication in the language of their choice – Welsh or English. The guidebook is also available in large print, Braille and as audiotapes.

An essential read for any young person or information worker, the guide offers access to unbiased information, advice & facts – all supported by regular consultations with young people. It also provides valuable contact details for organisations corresponding to categories within the ten Canllaw Online Info Index headings.

In addition to this, the guidebook is bursting with ideas, activity suggestions, competitions, discounts and photographs, delivering a fun-filled, incredibly useful information tool to young people – contributed to by young people.

The photographs used in the publication, entitled “Wise, your essential guide to life, the world and everything”, were contributed by young people as a result of a photography competition held by Canllaw Online and backed by Canon and the Welsh Daily Mirror, to encourage young people to express, through photographic images, how they experience life in Wales under one of the Canllaw Online Info Index headings.

The competition winner received a Canon IXUS III APS camera kit, and a week’s work experience with the Welsh Daily Mirror press photographer - providing them with indispensable on-location training. Also, as other entries were used in the “Wise” guide and on the Canllaw Online Website, many of the young people benefited from seeing their own work “in print”. Also, the 2002/2003 edition of the publication included a separate competition backed by Canon, with the first-prize winner receiving a Cannon IXUS X-1 camera. The competition encouraged young people to give their opinions on the “Wise” guide, providing Canllaw with valuable, direct feedback on the content of the publication.

The information featured in the publication is produced annually by members of the Canllaw Online team to ensure that it is as up-to-date as possible. It is also sent to consultants at the Assembly and other various expert organisations, where the content is checked for accuracy and veracity.

The publication is distributed to every single young person in Wales of school leaving age, through local youth service networks, Young People’s Partnerships and schools. Through the publication, young people in Wales have a key to unlocking information delivered to them as part of their entitlement.