Promoting and Facilitating the Welsh Language in Ceredigion
“We want to see the Welsh language and Welshness belong to everybody in Ceredigion and feel a sense of pride amongst all the counties’ residents.”
A new Welsh language Strategy for Ceredigion has been approved for 2024-2029. Following a public consultation, the Strategy was approved by Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet in a meeting on the 3rd of December 2024. The Strategy updates and develops on its predecessor.
This Strategy builds on the foundations laid by the Language Strategy 2018-23 and the fantastic work undertaken by the Council and its partners to increase opportunities to use Welsh across the County. The viability of the Welsh language is dependent on maintaining communities where a significant number of the population can speak the language and have access to it in all aspects of daily life.
In accordance with the Welsh Language Standards, the strategy sets out how the Council will encourage the Welsh language and facilitate its use more broadly within the local area, through cooperating with organisations that are members of Ceredigion’s Bilingual Futures Language Forum. The Strategy supports the Welsh Government’s vision to create a million of Welsh speakers in Wales by 2050.
The Strategy introduces a number of ambitious steps and outcomes to see the language flourish across the County. The Strategy will also contribute towards the Welsh Government's Welsh Language Strategy 2050, which sets the target of reaching one million Welsh speakers in Wales by 2050.
Councillor Catrin M S Davies, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Customer Services said
“This Strategy reflects on our responsibility towards the Welsh language, and our willingness as a Council to act to protect the Welsh language, to prevent further declines in the number of Welsh speakers that are in the County and to increase the number of people that uses the Welsh language as the main language to communicate. This Strategy will not only look at increasing the number of Welsh speakers, but it will also reflect our objective to increase the use of the Welsh language and to ensure that the workforce, users, residents, learners, and others feel that the Welsh language is worth using.
We want everyone to be proud of their Welsh skills and be willing to bring it into parts of society where it's not that obvious now.”
Welsh Language Promotion Strategy 2024-2029
The Bilingual Futures Forum Committee is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Strategy and developments in welsh language in the county. The Forum has four Sub-Committees on the themes of Learn, Live, Belong and Succeed which focus on the actions of the four themes of the Strategy.
The Ceredigion Bilingual Futures Forum has developed a Language Resource to help with the use of the Welsh language.
The Strategy is intertwined with other Strategies that engage and promote the use of the Welsh language.
The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan sets out the Council's intention to promote Welsh language education in the county.
Social Services are working towards achieving a 'More than Words' Strategic Framework for improving Welsh language services within Health, Social Services and Social Care.
The Council also supports Cered (Menter Iaith Ceredigion) with the aim of creating opportunities and encouraging Ceredigion residents to use Welsh more frequently in all aspects of their lives.