Campaigners fighting to save courses at Lampeter University have written an open letter calling for support as the deadline for petition signatures draws near.

Esther Weller, who is leading the campaign on behalf of alumni to save the Lampeter campus, Wales’ oldest highest education institution, tells readers why she would like them to sign a petition to Senedd:

Dear Reader

It shouldn't take a petition for this to warrant a debate; however I am making an urgent appeal to you. We are pleased that the Cambrian News has been following our campaign to reverse the decision to stop undergraduate teaching at Lampeter from September this year. We currently have a live Senedd petition ongoing and we urge you to sign. If we reach 10,000 signatures, there is a good opportunity that the Senedd will debate the issue. This potential debate is our best hope of highlighting the issue at the highest level in Wales. Currently the Welsh Government insists that the matter is for the management of UWTSD only. We believe it is a matter for the whole of Wales.

The closure of the Lampeter campus will end 200 years of higher education at Lampeter, the oldest higher education institution in Wales.

The ending of undergraduate teaching at Lampeter would be a betrayal of Wales’ heritage and culture, it would deny future generations the unique opportunities to benefit from this unique setting and would have hugely damaging economic impacts on the town and surrounding communities. This should be a matter of grave concern to all Senedd Members of all parties.

As recently as 2022 the University celebrated with pride the two centuries, over which Lampeter has provided an ideal environment for widening access to higher education, contributing to a more prosperous and resilient mid Wales area. For decades, the university had a thriving Welsh Department and attracted some renowned and internationally recognised academics.

With no students and very few staff on campus, it will have a devastating effect on the local and wider community. The local economy has steadily been decreasing over the last 10 years as student numbers at Lampeter have been dwindling. These new proposals will make this situation worse. We cannot let it happen and believe that new opportunities and proposals can and should be explored with urgency.

Whilst it should not take a petition for a matter of such national importance to warrant a debate in our Senedd, I urge you to support our campaign by signing the petition https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/246410

We are holding a day of action on Tuesday 21 January where interested parties can collectively oppose the proposals coming from UWTSD. Plans for the day will include the launch of our short campaign film and a protest at the Senedd in Cardiff from 10.30am. We are inviting anyone to attend the protest who opposes UWTSD’s proposal to end higher education at Lampeter. We cannot let the closure of the birthplace of higher education in Wales happen.

Yours sincerely

Esther Weller

Save Lampeter campaign