Welsh Language Promotion Strategy 2023 - 28

Foreword by Cllr. Glynog Davies

The recently published 2021 Population Census Results have further increased the importance of the success of this Strategy.

As Carmarthenshire experiences the highest percentage loss of Welsh speakers of all the counties of Wales for the second decade running, firm and confident action must be taken to stop this damaging trend.

However, all the planning and action taken since the 2011 results were published and since the Welsh Language Promotion Strategy 2016-21 was produced have not been in vain. Indeed, the careful and cohesive work has contributed to significantly slow the reduction from 6% in the 2011 Census to 4% in the 2021 Census. Furthermore, Carmarthenshire’s Welsh speakers’ experience of living their lives through the medium of Welsh proves beyond any quantitative data that the Welsh language is alive and viable in our County. Welsh is widely used by our residents in every ward of our County and in every aspect of our residents’ lives, from education to leisure and work.

The use and continuity of Welsh in Carmarthenshire is vital to the survival of the Welsh language in Wales.

I am confident that, having implemented a purposeful promotion strategy for five-plus years, and with the positive operational cooperation of many partners, we are in a position, to have a significant effect on the viability of the Welsh language in Carmarthenshire during the period of this Strategy.
The Strategy benefits from a clear baseline set out in the first Strategy report and benefits, furthermore, from a real practical understanding of what needs to be done and how to achieve it, having implemented the first Strategy so vigorously. Our understanding of the factors affecting the Welsh language within the economic sphere, and within our workplaces is now advanced and this Strategy will develop the Welsh language in those areas.

It will also, of course, continue with the vital work of increasing use of Welsh as has been done thus far in the education and community sectors by the Mentrau, the Young Farmers and others.

This Strategy sets an aim, a vision, objectives and a set of subobjectives. The aim is ambitious and voices our determination that Carmarthenshire should remain a Welsh language
heartland.

Aim: To make Welsh the main language of the County. Our aim is to restore Welsh to a language spoken and used by the majority of our inhabitants consistently, and in all aspects of life.

The vision further voices our desire to see Welsh as the norm in all domains of life. Our desire in Carmarthenshire is not to increase numbers and encourage use but, rather to welcome people into Welsh confidently and without apology.

Vision: We want to see an increase in the proportion of Carmarthenshire residents who can speak Welsh and use their Welsh consistently. We want to see the Welsh language as a working and operating norm in the County’s public institutions and increasingly prevalent in the County’s businesses. We want our young people to see a future for themselves in the County in sustainable and prosperous Welsh communities, economically, culturally and socially.

We want everyone to be proud of the Welsh language in Carmarthenshire.

There are four (4) high-level objectives as well as a set of subobjectives identified in this Strategy which will enable us to reach our aim, and an Action Plan will be prepared to drive forward its implementation.

Objective 1. An Increase in Welsh speakers
Objective 2. Maintaining the pride, use and confidence of the County’s residents in the Welsh language
Objective 3. Welsh as the norm in the workplace and workforce
Objective 4. Thriving Welsh communities

We have identified nine areas of work for the Action Plan which will provide us with a practical framework to implement the
objectives of the Strategy.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all the County Council’s partners for their willing collaboration on the first-of-its-kind Welsh language Promotion Strategy for which the County Council is statutorily responsible. I look forward to another five-year period of working together for the benefit of the Welsh language in Carmarthenshire.

Cllr Glynog Davies

Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, Carmarthenshire County Council