Category Archives: Cynllunio Ieithyddol

Welsh and Sport

Reply

CALL FOR CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE WELSH IN SPORTS   In congratulating Team Wales on their achievements in the Commonwealth Games, Dyfodol i’r Iaith is calling for a campaign to promote Welsh in sports. Heini Gruffudd, Chair of Dyfodol i’r Iaith, said, “it’s great to hear some of Wales’ athletes talking in Welsh on radio and television, showing that Welsh is a very living language in sports.” “The Urdd in arranging the Welsh Games has also given a strong lead in bringing the language to the heart of sports. “The need now is to ensure that sports, athletics and swimming and leisure activities are available through the medium of Welsh in all communities in every county in Wales. “It would be valuable for the Language Standards which the Government will set up in November to set targets for Local Authorities regarding giving Welsh activities for young people. “There is also a need for a language promotion campaign aimed at sports clubs. There are some excellent examples, such as Crymych Rugby Club which runs 11 teams through the medium of Welsh. “Some national bodies, such as the Football Association of Wales has a bilingual website and produces bilingual materials, but the Welsh Rugby Union has a largely English only presence. “We look forward to seeing the Language Commissioner and the First Minister working together to produce a comprehensive programme to further Welsh in the world of sport over the next few years.”

Letter to the Petitions Committee

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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