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Cymraeg

Hanfod Cymru yn cyhoeddi ddod i ben

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Deris Williams: Cadeirydd Hanfod Cymru

MAE BWRDD Hanfod Cymru, yr elusen ddyrannu grantiau, wedi cyhoeddi ei fod am ddod i ben yn ystod haf 2019 – er gwaetha ei lwyddiant ysgubol yn dyrannu grantiau gwerth £120,000 i 52 o elusennau yn y cyfnod ers ei lansio ym mis Ebrill 2017. Mae’r penderfyniad hwn yn uniongyrchol gysylltiedig â phenderfyniad Bwrdd Loteri Cymru i roi’r cwmni hwnnw yn nwylo’r gweinyddwyr ar 27ain Mawrth ar ôl 11 mis o fasnachu.

Er bod Hanfod Cymru yn elusen ac yn gwmni cwbl annibynnol, Loteri Cymru oedd unig ffynhonnell ariannol Hanfod Cymru i’w alluogi i ddosbarthu grantiau. Mae Bwrdd Hanfod Cymru wedi bod yn rhan o’r trafodaethau i geisio dod o hyd i brynwr newydd ar gyfer Loteri Cymru ond daeth y Bwrdd i’r farn wythnos diwethaf, gyda Loteri Cymru yn nwylo gweithredwr newydd, na fuasai Hanfod Cymru yn medru dosbarthu grantiau ar lefel ddigonol i fedru bodloni amcanion canolog yr elusen, sef gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i elusennau ar lawr gwlad cymunedau Cymru.

Dywedodd Deris Williams, Cadeirydd Hanfod Cymru: “Mae’r flwyddyn ddiwethaf ers lansio Hanfod Cymru, wedi bod yn un lwyddiannus tu hwnt. Rydym wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i elusennau ar lawr gwlad ar draws Cymru. Rydym wedi bod yn ffodus tu hwnt hefyd o fod wedi cael aelodau nodedig o staff i yrru’r elusen ymlaen ac mae’n fater o dor-calon i fwrdd Hanfod Cymru ein bod yn awr angen gwneud y staff yn ddi-waith. Bydd Siôn Brynach, y Prif Weithredwr ac Angharad Gaylard, y Swyddog Gweinyddu Grantiau, yn gadael eu swyddi ar ddiwedd Mai eleni.

“Bwriad Bwrdd Hanfod Cymru bellach yw bodloni’r gofynion statudol sydd arnom, a chymryd y camau sydd eu hangen i ddod â’r elusen i ben. Disgwyliwn fedru gwneud hynny erbyn haf 2019.”

Aeth Deris yn ei blaen gan ddweud: “Mae Hanfod Cymru wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i’r tirwedd ariannu yng Nghymru dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf. Yn ogystal mae’r staff wedi arloesi ym maes cyhoeddusrwydd gan gyhoeddi fideo ar wefan Hanfod Cymru a thrwy’r cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn wythnosol er mwyn tynnu sylw nid yn unig at Hanfod ei hun, ond hefyd at yr elusennau sydd wedi derbyn grantiau gennym.

“Mae’n fater o falchder i’r Bwrdd ac i’r Staff ein bod wedi llwyddo i godi proffil yr elusen mor effeithiol mewn amser mor fyr, ac yn siomedig tu hwnt bod angen yn awr i ni ddod â’r gweithgarwch nodedig hwn i ben.

“Er na fyddwn yn medru dosbarthu unrhyw grantiau pellach, byddwn yn dod â’r elusen i ben gyda record gwirioneddol drawiadol o fod wedi cynorthwyo 52 o elusennau led-led Cymru trwy ddosbarthu grantiau gwerth £120,000 i wneud gwahaniaeth go iawn i bobl ar lawr gwlad.”

Cymraeg

Welsh Language and Education Bill becomes law

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New Act aims to ensure all pupils become confident Welsh speakers

LANDMARK legislation designed to give every child in Wales the opportunity to become a confident Welsh speaker has officially become law today (Monday, July 7).

The Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act received Royal Assent this afternoon, marking a major step forward in the Welsh Government’s ambition to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

The Act places a renewed emphasis on the role of the Welsh language in education, with the long-term goal of ensuring that all pupils attending maintained schools in Wales leave as independent Welsh language users.

Speaking at the Bill’s sealing ceremony, First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “The Welsh language belongs to us all. This Act builds on the excellent work already happening across Wales. It gives children and young people a better chance to become Welsh speakers, bringing us closer to our aim of one million Welsh speakers in Wales.”

The legislation sets out a clear framework to strengthen Welsh-medium education and embed the language more deeply across all school settings.

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Cymraeg

New research finds strong trends towards Welsh language place names

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  • RESEARCH on how property, street, and business names are changing across Wales shows a clear shift towards using Welsh language place names.

The report commissioned by the Welsh Government collected a wide range of valuable evidence, including:

Local authorities received three times more applications for Welsh language street names than English language names between 2018-2023.
Most changes to property names do not involve a change in the language of the property name.
When they do change language, properties are at least three more likely to be renamed from English to Welsh than from Welsh to English.
In all regions of Wales, more house names are changed from English to Welsh than Welsh to English.
People report that Welsh house names give them “a sense of pride, place or nostalgia”.
Welsh Language Secretary Mark Drakeford said: “Place names help tell the story of who we are as a nation, and this new research helps us understand our linguistic landscape. I’m encouraged to see more people embracing Welsh property names, regardless of their background.”

The research focused primarily on property names, business names, and street names, with the need for further investigation into names for topographical features in the natural environment also highlighted.

As part of the Welsh Government’s wider work to promote and celebrate Cymraeg and our culture, it has established a network of Cultural Ambassadors to support the language in their communities. The Cultural Ambassadors will be able to draw upon the List of Historic Place Names of Wales, which includes over 700,000 names and is funded by the Welsh Government.

Mark Drakeford said: “I’m proud to launch the gold level of our cultural ambassadors course, where people can learn more about the language and our culture online. The course includes modules on a range of topics including place names. If you want to support the Welsh language in your area, or know somebody who would be an ideal ambassador, then go for it.”

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Cymraeg

Welsh Language Commissioner publishes bold manifesto ahead of 2026 election

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Parties urged to adopt key Welsh language priorities

THE WELSH LANGUAGE COMMISSIONER, Efa Gruffudd Jones, has published an ambitious manifesto setting out five key priorities for the future of the Welsh language—calling on all political parties to adopt the proposals ahead of the Senedd Cymru elections in 2026.

While acknowledging the financial pressures faced by public bodies, the Commissioner has identified areas where meaningful progress can still be made in strengthening the use of the Welsh language during the next Senedd term.

The proposals include extending statutory Welsh language duties to more public services, creating a new specialist unit to promote the use of Welsh in the workplace, and ensuring mandatory language training for all education professionals.

“My ambition as Commissioner goes beyond a narrow interpretation of my statutory role,” said Ms Gruffudd Jones. “This manifesto calls for action and leadership from the Welsh Government—regardless of its political makeup—and for wider support to enable key partners, including my own office, to help make a lasting difference.”

She emphasised the critical timing of the manifesto, with the forthcoming implementation of the Welsh Language and Education Bill and the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities set to shape the language landscape in Wales.

“I am fully aware of the pressures on our public bodies. That is why we are focusing on five clear, practical priorities which follow the path outlined in our strategic plan. I am confident these areas can deliver measurable improvements in the use of the Welsh language.”

The Commissioner’s office now intends to meet with political parties to present the proposals in more detail and press for their inclusion in party manifestos ahead of the election.

The five priorities are:

  1. Language duties – Extend Welsh language standards to more public services to increase the availability of Welsh-medium provision.
  2. Community language planning – Strengthen the promotion standards to support coordinated, place-based language planning in Welsh-speaking communities.
  3. Workplaces – Create a dedicated unit within the Commissioner’s office to support and increase the use of Welsh in the workplace.
  4. Health and clinical care – Improve access to Welsh-language clinical care through targeted investment and policy intervention.
  5. Education workforce – Introduce a five-year compulsory Welsh language training framework for all teachers and education staff in Wales.

The full manifesto is available to view via the attached document. Please note the embargo details contained within.

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