Jonny Owen, broadcaster and proud Merthyr boy, joins Ogi in search of Local
Legends to capture and celebrate untold Welsh stories in a new digital storybook
A new survey from Welsh telecoms company Ogi suggests two-thirds (65%) of
people in Wales feel their communities aren’t reflected in TV, film or traditional stories
Over a quarter (27%) feel disconnected from typical representations of Welsh identity
in the media
Ogi has now teamed up with broadcaster Jonny Owen to launch Local Legends – a
curated digital storybook celebrating contemporary Welsh stories
Capturing everyday anecdotes of pride, humour and resilience, Ogi’s Local Legends
aims to connect communities through stories by offering a platform for those who feel
unseen in the stories told about Wales today
Visit Ogi’s Instagram and website over the next two weeks to share your stories via
DMs, voice notes or comments
Submissions close 23.59 on Sunday 14 September
A survey released today reveals a striking disconnect between how life in Wales is portrayed
on screen and in stories, and how people experience it.
In the new survey conducted by Ogi, two-thirds (65%) of Wales say that people and stories
from their background and communities are missing from TV, films and traditional stories,
with one in four (27%) saying they don’t feel any connection with the typical versions of
Welshness, they see.
The disconnect is particularly sharp among young people. Nearly half (44%) of 18–24-year-
olds say they don’t feel connected to the versions of Welshness they see on screen or in
books. What’s more, more than one in three (36%) under 24s report never seeing their lives
reflected in the media, and 29% say Welsh stories simply aren’t there.
To showcase a more contemporary picture of the nation, the Welsh telecoms company is
partnering with broadcaster, filmmaker – and proud Merthyr native – Jonny Owen, (The
Aberfan Disaster, Svengali, Shameless) to launch Local Legends – a new digital storybook
reflecting Wales today.
The new campaign aims to provide a platform to those who feel unseen in the stories told
about Wales today, by capturing and sharing everyday stories of pride, humour, kindness
and resilience from across the country – and through these stories it aims to connect Welsh
communities online and to each other.
Curating stories in partnership with Ogi, Jonny is now calling for people across Wales to
submit their stories to Ogi’s Instagram channel and website before 23.59 on Sunday 14
September. Three stories will be chosen and turned into a digital storybook for the nation
recorded by Jonny himself.
Jonny Owen, curator and voice of Local Legends, says of the new campaign:
“Whenever I talk about growing up in Merthyr, I get messages from people all over Wales
sharing their own stories – about their towns, their families, their mates. They’re funny and
sometimes heartbreaking, but too often those voices don’t make it onto the screen or the
page. That’s what Local Legends is all about. It’s a chance to capture those proper Welsh
stories, the ones that show who we are today, and share them back with the nation. I just
know the stories will be pure gold, because that’s Wales for you.”
Ogi’s Brand Marketing Director, Sarah Vining, adds:
“Wales has always been a nation of storytellers, but our research shows the stories being
shared today don’t always fully reflect the people living here. Through our work connecting
communities, we know the most authentic stories are found in everyday moments in those
communities – from chats at the school gates, to laughs at the pub or acts of kindness
between neighbours. That’s why, along with Jonny, we’re inviting people from across our
cities, towns and villages to help create a digital storybook for the nation: a living collection of
modern Welsh life, told by the people of Wales, for the people of Wales.”
Submissions for Local Legends are now open until 23.59 on Sunday 14 September. To
submit your own story and find out more, visit: [landing page to be added]
Jonny is donating his fee for this to Merthyr Town Football Club – who are fan-owned, an Ogi
customer, and do brilliant work in our community. “Up the Martyrs!”, he added.
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