May Day Challenge for Radio Cymru

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The Welsh language movement Dyfodol i’r Iaith (a Future for the Language) has issued a May Day challenge to Radio Cymru to improve its Welsh language service.

In a letter to both the Head of Welsh Language Programmes and the Editor of Radio Cymru, Sian Gwynedd and Betsan Powys, the movement has asked a number of questions about the present service and how it could prepare for the future.

Dyfodol has received a number of concerns and complaints from its members regarding the presenters’ use of sub-standard Welsh and the number of English songs being broadcast on Radio Cymru.  The movement therefore queries when will a second Welsh-medium service be available on any platform in order to overcome the present difficulties. Continue reading →

Letter to the Petitions Committee

Reply

This is a letter sent by the Chair of Dyfodol i’r Iaith to the Petitions Committee of the National Assembly for Wales regarding our petition supporting the Mentrau Iaith

 

Dear Members of Petitions Committee,

We are pleased to note that you will be considering the Petition Support for the Mentrau Iaith in your next meeting on 29th April 2014 and we hope that you will be in a position to take further action following that meeting.

The  Mentrau Iaith are community organisations that operate to benefit the Welsh language locally and they provided a wide range of activities and projects through the medium of Welsh to people f all ages and backgrounds in Wales’ communities.  The report by Cardiff University, commissioned by the Welsh Government, states that the work of the Mentrau should continue and develop. The report also notes that the Mentrau do not receive sufficient core funding to operate to their full potential. You can read the report here: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/welshlanguage/publications/review-of-mentrau-iaith/?lang=en

Dyfodol i’r Iaith decided to present a petition to support the  Mentrau following a review of their work in order to call on the Assembly to ask the Welsh Government to increase their support to the Mentrau and respond in a timely and positive way following that report

We were pleased to hear the First Minister declare his support for the  Mentrau Iaith in several recent statements and on the floor of the Assembly, saying that he considered the Mentrau to be “powerful and valuable tools” and that he wanted to “ensure that their work continues to the future” We now believe it is timely for the First Minister and the Government to take action to make a genuine difference to the future of the Mentrau and the Welsh language by investing in them.

We would be pleased to discuss further with you and would be happy to come to one of your meetings in the near future to discuss how you as a Committee can help us to support the  Mentrau Iaith for the good of the Welsh language across Wales.

Best wishes,

Heini Gruffudd

 

Language Standards

Reply

NEED TO MAKE WELSH THE LANGUAGE OF WORK

Welsh must become the language of daily work in public institutions – and the Government’s Language Standards should ensure that, according to Dyfodol i’r Iaith.

In response to the Government’s Language Standards, Dyfodol i’r Iaith wants to see
•  the Welsh language used in everyday work in public institutions
• the provision of extensive activities for young people
• concrete steps to promote the Welsh language in the community

Dyfodol i’r Iaith welcomes several sections of the Language Standards, but claims that very few of Standards will help make the Welsh language the language of the workplace, and promote the use of Welsh in the community .

Heini Gruffudd, chairman of Dyfodol i’r iaith, said, “Many of the standards relate to forms and documents and the right of individuals to have a Welsh language service. There is nothing wrong in that, but far more important things need to be addressed.

“Only Gwynedd makes internal use of Welsh. Standards need to set targets for other councils in Wales to use Welsh language in daily work.

” Although one of the standards requires that public institutions provide courses for young people and adults, we need to make sure that things like swimming lessons and clubs for young people are as widely available in Welsh as they are in English. ”

“We need to take this opportunity to promote the Welsh language in the home, community and workplace. Failure to do this is something that we will very much regret in the future. “