Owain Meirion re-elected as Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith

Owain Meirion has been re-elected as national chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith at the movement’s General Meeting at Arad Goch Centre, Aberystwyth, today (Saturday, 17 October).

He was originally appointed to the role in October 2025, having been active with Cymdeithas yr Iaith for several years.

Owain said after being elected chair:

“It is an honour to receive the trust of the Society’s members to serve the movement as chair for a second term, at such an important time for us as a movement, as we work to ensure that the government and the newly elected Senedd in Cardiff Bay work for the Welsh language and its communities.

“As a movement, we can be proud of what has been achieved over the past year. We secured key commitments in the political parties’ manifestos ahead of the election in May, and launched the Siarter Troi’r Llanw (Turn the Tide Charter), which includes calls on the new government. The Cross-Party Group for the Welsh Language in the Senedd was re-established, having come to an end in 2021, to scrutinise the government’s work, and Cymdeithas was elected to provide its secretariat.

“Most significantly, a number of our policy demands have been reflected in commitments made by government ministers on the floor of the Senedd. These include legislation to guarantee the right to adequate housing and the community right to buy; establishing a shadow broadcasting and communications authority for Wales as a first step towards the devolution of broadcasting powers; extending the rights of Welsh speakers; and expanding Welsh-medium education. It is encouraging to see these commitments being put into action after years, if not decades, of campaigning for them.

“Cymdeithas will continue its work to ensure that these and other commitments are implemented over the next term. Now is the time to turn the tide to ensure that all young people in Wales have the opportunity to become fluent in our national language, to secure full rights to use Welsh in every aspect of our lives, and to build thriving communities where Welsh is a living language.”