A \u00a3300,000 campaign has been launched to encourage businesses in Wales\u2019s Welsh-speaking heartlands to use Welsh to boost their bottom line.<\/p>\n
Bwrlwm ARFOR \u2013 bwrlwm means buzz or chatter \u2013 is reaching out to companies and businesses, from village shops to multi-million pound operations, across the four counties with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers.<\/p>\n
It is part of the \u00a311 million Welsh Government ARFOR Two scheme that\u2019s targeting the Welsh strongholds of Ynys M\u00f4n, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire to use the language to boost entrepreneurship and economic development.<\/p>\n
The aim is to create opportunities for young people and families to help them stay in or return to their home communities and is part of the Welsh Government\u2019s Welsh language strategy, Cymraeg 2050, which aims to ensure there are a million Welsh speakers by 2050.<\/p>\n
The project, which runs until the end of March next year, is being run by\u00a0 fast-growing consultancy firm Lafan whose Lead Consultant Zoe Pritchard aims to\u00a0 support communities in those counties use Welsh as a business advantage.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cWe want to create a buzz around the use of Welsh in a business or commercial environment and how it can help businesses thrive and provide careers for our young people so they don\u2019t feel they have to move away.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s aim is to celebrate the Welsh language and show that it is not a museum piece but can have real benefits and relevance to businesses here across the four counties.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to create plenty of noise and a buzz to stimulate good discussions around encouraging businesses to use Welsh and that\u2019s it\u2019s a real benefit to businesses across various sectors because people who visit Wales do want to feel they\u2019ve come somewhere different, somewhere with its own language, identity and culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur focus is also on showcasing the many businesses across the four counties which make good use of the language and to use it with confidence and pride.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey offer great service, they employ Welsh-speaking staff and for the tourism sector it\u2019s a no-brainer because it\u2019s a unique selling point.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople like history and heritage and to learn about different cultures and in Wales we have a living, breathing language and culture so using Welsh is a massive benefit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other factor is that if we don\u2019t use Welsh or have the language actively seen or heard\u00a0 in shops and businesses across the ARFOR area, then we may be losing out as an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u00a311 million ARFOR Two scheme was launched in 2022 in succession to the 2019 ARFOR programme to continue to strengthen and promote the economic resilience of the Welsh language in the four counties with the highest levels of Welsh speakers, and is financed by the Welsh Government..<\/p>\n
The 2021 Census showed that Gwynedd with 64 per cent of the population able to speak Welsh and Anglesey, 56 per cent, have the highest ratio of Welsh speakers followed by Ceredigion, 45 per cent, and Carmarthenshire, 40 per cen.<\/p>\n
Numbers are declining slowly, down one per cent since the 2011 Census, and that\u2019s true of the ARFOR area except for Gwynedd but that\u2019s something Bwrlwm ARFOR aims to address.<\/p>\n
Zoe added: \u201cThe project aims to showcase the economic benefits that speaking Welsh and promoting the language in businesses can have.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact is that not using Welsh or at least having the language on show can cost money by losing out on that Welsh audience.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about welcoming local people and honouring that identity and the evidence is that visitors to Wales appreciate the fact that it is a country and culture that has its own identity and language.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact is that if businesses do nothing then it\u2019s likely to cost them money.\u201d<\/p>\n
ARFOR Two is part of the Welsh Government Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru and follows an earlier ARFOR programme launched in 2019.<\/p>\n
It is intended to provide economic support to communities that are strongholds of the Welsh language, increase opportunities to see and use the Welsh language on a daily basis and help young people under the age of 35 to stay in or return to their communities.<\/p>\n
For more information about Bwrlwm ARFOR and the support that\u2019s available contact Lafan by emailing <\/strong>post@lafan.cymru<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n