Report: Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities on communities with a medium or lower density of Welsh speakers
Commission for Welsh speaking communities: second phase report | GOV.WALES
“Welsh is a national language that belongs to us all—no matter who we are, where we live, or how much Welsh we can speak.” Our response to this, taken from Meithriniaith, our strategic plan, is “The Welsh language is the beginning and end of our work: our vision as Mudiad Meithrin is that every child in Wales should have the opportunity to play, learn, and grow through the medium of Welsh, becoming a confident Welsh speaker.”
We must state that we agree that the Welsh and Education Act (Wales) 2025 and its policies will lead our chief work pertaining to ensuring a firm foundation for the Welsh language in the early years, and our work continues in response to ‘Cymraeg 2050’. Although the early years are not discussed specifically in this document, the acknowledgement of our central role in the long-term sustainability of the language means that Mudiad Meithrin’s work deserves attention here, in the context of the communities it serves.
Raising within a Community
When the Mudiad was established over 50 years ago, communities of parents and volunteers came together to ensure that Welsh was available, audible and used at a grassroots level. By now, our community work has expanded significantly through Cymraeg for Kids, Cylchoedd Ti a Fi and Clwb Cwtsh; offering safe spaces for parents/carers that have not previously taken steps towards using Welsh. They represent an opportunity for parents who attended Welsh-medium education as a child but lost contact with the language to reconnect, gaining confidence and creating their own safe spaces with other like-minded spirits. In these spaces, we offer opportunities to ensure that Welsh is a relevant, used language, and one that is transmitted in the cultural and linguistic context of the neighbourhood.
Everyone belongs
The doors of our Cylchoedd Meithrin are wide open, playing an invaluable role within our communities. The legacy of hundreds of volunteers and workers within the cylchoedd can be seen, not only in the children who have had the opportunity to acquire Welsh, but also as this has led to the creation of community-based hubs. From the outset, they have opened doors to various cultures and created flexible, all-inclusive services, ensuring that each and every family is an integral part of that Welsh-speaking community.
A Welsh-speaking workforce – a purpose for the language.
Nothing bestows greater purpose than use. With Cylchoedd Meithrin across Wales eager for staff that speak the language, we worked in partnership with the National Centre for Learning Welsh to ensure that our staff – whether new speakers, those rediscovering the language or wishing to strengthen their skills – have the ability to do so through Camau learn Welsh courses. For adults who had not considered passing the language on to their children, purpose and use are a strong influence. Adults who haven’t used their Welsh since school days become empowered as adults who have come to feel a part of their community and their wider culture, and make use of Welsh beyond their place of work.
Our children in 2050
By 2050 the children in our provisions today will be in their twenties, and we must ensure that we’re not stuck in the same cycle. The period between early Welsh-language provision and using Welsh as an adult is fragile, both in the community and outside of the schoolroom. Therefore, investment is essential, especially in those communities that have a low to medium density of Welsh speakers. The ground has been broken, and we must work with those who began the work to build upon those foundations.
Mudiad Meithrin is in a robust situation to grow, improve, influence, inspire and empower our communities – with a vital part to play right across Wales in offering those wider communities that first step towards Welsh. Wherever there are young children in Wales, Mudiad Meithrin – and therefore the Welsh language – should also be present.