Category Archives: Welsh Government

Grants to Promote the Welsh Language

Rt. Hon Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales

Following Y Gynhadledd Fawr last summer, I made a statement (12 November) outlining early actions to address the challenges identified.  Our strategy A living language: a language for living continues to underpin and drive our approach and some important progress has been made.  The challenges are critical and there is no case for slowing the pace.  Although I plan to make a full policy statement in the spring it is timely to offer Members an update on progress now.

The first set of draft standards under the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 were published on 6 January.  The Welsh Language Commissioner has begun an investigation into the standards with county councils, national park authorities and the Welsh Government.  We in government are already reviewing our procedures to strengthen the use of Welsh across the organisation, and we are examining, too, how to measure the impact of policy and financial decisions on the Welsh language.

Appointment regulations are now in place for the Welsh Language Tribunal, and we have begun the process of appointing the President. The Tribunal will be in place by the end of the year and I see this as a significant part of the institutional architecture surrounding the Welsh language.

Education has played a significant part in promoting the Welsh language and in creating new Welsh speakers.  It continues to be vital to the language’s future.  The School Standards Act (Wales) 2013 placed the Welsh in Education Strategic Plans onto a statutory footing, and the related regulations now require local authorities, in particular circumstances, to measure the demand for Welsh-medium education.  In parallel we have also launched an awareness campaign to remind parents that they can choose Welsh-medium education for their children in every part of Wales.

In planning, we have revised Technical Advice Note (TAN) 20, and guidelines are being developed to help planning authorities to assess the impact of proposals on the Welsh language. The guidelines will be published in the spring.

A number of important reviews have concluded their work in recent months:

  • Mentrau Iaith, Language Action Plans and Welsh Language Promotion Scheme in Aman Tawe was published last week – and the Welsh Government will respond in due course.
  • We have recently announced an extra £90,000 for the National Eisteddfod this year  to help with implementation of recommendations made by the Eisteddfod Task and Finish Group which reported in October.
  • We have accepted the recommendations of the independent group which reviewed the Welsh for Adults provision. We have already started implementing those changes.
  • We have received the report on Welsh Language Communities, which aims to increase the number of communities where Welsh is the main language, and are considering our response.
  • An independent group, chaired by Professor Sioned Davies, has reviewed the provision of Welsh as a Second Language at Key Stages 3 and 4. The recommendations of the report One Language for All will be fed into a wider review of the curriculum.
  • The Welsh Language and Economy Group will report shortly.

All of these reports serve to add depth to the picture gathered at Y Gynhadledd Fawr. Naturally, I believe that action, not words, will drive forward the agenda but it is important that we move policy ahead on a basis of sound research and clear-sighted understanding of the real challenges.  Otherwise, we risk incoherence and lack of direction in our work.

I have already emphasised the vital importance of education.  Since 2009 we have invested around £135 million to deliver 17 major projects for Welsh medium school buildings.  In addition, through the Twenty-First Century Schools Programme we aim to deliver approximately 25 projects in Welsh medium schools over the next 5 to 6 years. We have also invested capital funding towards new accommodation at the Urdd camp in Llangrannog.

I can confirm today £3.5m grant funding for promoting the Welsh language in the year 2014-15. Thirty-six organisations from the voluntary sector will benefit directly from this fund, details are attached.

Our challenge is to promote the use of Welsh in every day life across the whole of Wales, and everything the Welsh Government does is directed towards that aim.  The issues remain serious, but there is also much to celebrate.  A recent report from the Council of Europe recognises the Welsh Government’s commitment to the language, and this determination will not falter.

The Welsh Government does not have a monopoly on the future of the Welsh language.  Many other bodies, both national and local, societies, schools, employers, families and individuals, all have their parts to play.  The language is part of who we are and it belongs to everyone.  All of us have a part to play in advancing its future.

I plan to make a further statement in the spring outlining our proposals for the future in greater detail.

Grants to support the Welsh Language 2014-15

Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg (RHAG)   £35,140

Menter Abertawe £102,145

Menter Bro Ogwr £59,435

Menter Brycheiniog £28,451

Menter Caerdydd (gan gynnwys Menter y Fro a Tafwyl) £134,591

Menter Iaith Caerffili £95,552

Menter Castell Nedd Port Talbot £77,415

CERED £103,068

Menter Iaith Conwy £97,678

Menter Dinbych £81,583

Menter Iaith Sir y Fflint £72,043

Menter Iaith Maelor £36,540

Menter Maldwyn £72,591

Menter Merthyr Tudful £58,400

Menter  Môn £89,132

Menter Iaith Dinefwr £93,000

Menter Cwm Gwendraeth Cyf £87,791

Menter Gorllewin Sir Gar £66,921

Menter Iaith Sir Benfro £90,279

Menter Iaith Rhondda Cynon Taf   £107,768

Menter Iaith Blaenau Gwent £64,200

Menter Iaith Casnewydd £25,550

Hunaniaith £83,715

Mentrau Iaith Cymru £61,500

Merched y Wawr £84,205

Cymdeithas Eisteddfodau Cymru   £46,036

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru £543,000

Cynllun Hybu Ardal Aman Tawe (Menter Bro Dinefwr) £38,000

Cynllun Hybu Ardal Aman Tawe (Menter Castell Nedd Port Talbot) £38,000

Gwobr Dug Caeredin £20,300

Dyffryn Nantlle 20/20 £3,000

Ffederasiwn Clybiau Ffermwyr Ifanc Cymru £89,719

Sefydliad Cerddoriaeth Gymreig £12,165

Urdd Gobaith Cymru £852,184

Gwallgofiaid £23,000

Plant yng Nghymru £3,000

TOTAL   £3,577,097

Standards

 

The first set of standards in relation to the Welsh language have been published on 6 January 2014) following an announcement by the First Minister on 21 October 2013.

The Welsh Language Commissioner will now use these standards as a basis for a standards investigation with the following:

  • county borough councils and county councils
  • national park authorities
  • Welsh Ministers.

 

Grants awarded to promote Welsh-language technology and digital media

This is the Minister for Education and Skills’ action plan for the Welsh-language Technology and Digital Media
The Welsh Government has awarded grants to six projects under its 2013-14 programme.

The grant was open to applications for funding from public, private and third sector bodies. Applicants were asked to detail how the activities set out in their applications would contribute to delivering the Welsh Language, Technology and Digital Media Action Plan objectives. The grants for 2013-14 were awarded to the following projects:

Canolfan Bedwyr – GALLU: Gwaith Adnabod Lleferydd Uwch

This project will further strengthen the current Welsh language technology infrastructure by delivering a new Speech to Text module. Canolfan Bedwyr’s Language Technologies Unit, Bangor University, will work on the next stage in the development of Welsh language speech recognition technology by crowd-sourcing a corpus of Welsh language speech. Strategically, this is a much needed resource which could facilitate the inclusion of Welsh in future developments of speech-recognition based products such as office suites and voice-activated products. The project is in cooperation with S4C.

JOMEC – StoriNi – Creating and Sharing News

Cardiff University’s School of Journalism will facilitate communities to collect, publish and gain access to digital news and information through the medium of Welsh using an app and software which will be offered free of charge in the Welsh language. These tools will allow geographical as well as interest-led communities to engage with each other online and increase the volume and consumption of the Welsh language online.

Penrhys Partnership – Technoleg Mawr mewn Dwylo Bach

Penrhys Partnership will employ an apprentice, under the guidance of a national software development consultancy, to create two new apps focussed on developing Welsh language skills for children under 7 years old. The apps will be designed to be used by Welsh-medium primary school children during their school classes as well as at home with parents who want to engage with their children through the medium of Welsh. The project will hold Rhondda Coding Club workshops for under 25s to transfer programming and coding skills. The project will increase the provision of Welsh language material available as well as providing training for young people interested in coding apps.

Aberystwyth University – Welsh Learning App Creation Software

Aberystwyth University’s Department of Computer Science will develop framework software to facilitate the creation of a number of new Welsh Language learning apps. This will enable organisations to compile material for new Welsh learning apps at low cost. The project will make it easy to develop and deliver more Welsh learning apps by sharing a basic template.

Urdd Gobaith Cymru – Ap Urdd

The Urdd will create an app (and partner website) which will allow young people to post, find and review Welsh language events and activities within their communities. The app will also encourage young people to discuss the experiences gained through the Urdd’s activities through the medium of Welsh and increase the amount of Welsh language content available online. The Welsh Government’s Technology and Digital Media action plan has set out to encourage the use of technology amongst the 11-25 age group and this app will provide a tool to popularise the use of Welsh online.

Nwdls Cyf

Nwdls Cyf will provide a web service that will collate Welsh language Twitter content in one place thus, increasing the prominence of the use of the language and its users. Twitter is increasingly becoming an important platform for discussing news, culture and society in real time. The site will highlight Welsh language trending topics, hot topics and links to Welsh language content being shared via the platform, encouraging the sharing and consumption of Welsh online.

The 2014-15 grant will open in the new year, details of the grant and how to apply will be posted on the grants to promote Welsh-language technology and digital media page.