Figures showing that the number of Welsh speaking workers in some of Ceredigion's public institutions has declined since 2015 have raised questions about Ceredigion County Council's language strategy.
In a letter to the Chief Executive and Leader of Ceredigion Council, Cymdeithas yr Iaith notes a number of gaps in the strategy, that has an emphasis on maintaining existing activity rather than building on it and developing further.
Among Cymdeithas' recommendations are calls for:
Cymdeithas warns that 80,000 young people have been deprived of the language
Adverts have appeared in the press today (Wednesday, 21st September) warning that tens of thousands of young people are being denied fluency in Welsh because of a lack of Government action on a report published three years ago this week.
At a Tynged yr Iaith Sir Gâr (Fate of the Language in Carmarthenshire) meeting to discuss Carmarthenshire Council's five-year language strategy, Cymdeithas yr Iaith has asked whether the strategy will be no more than a tick box exercise or whether it will be implemented.
Addressing the meeting, Sioned Elin, chair of Cymdeithas in Carmarthenshire said:
Members of Cymdeithas yr Iaith in Dyffryn Teifi have called on Carwyn Jones to intervene directly and ask Ceredigion County to withdraw the site of Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi from sale in the open market, and instead offer practical help in a full consultation with local people as to how to develop this valuable asset to maintain this Welsh-speaking community.
In response to the fact that Ceredigion Council has put the Dyffryn Teifi school site up for auction, Cymdeithas yr Iaith has called on Ceredigion Council to take the site off the market and to discuss with the local community.
Bethan Williams, Dyfed area officer for Cymdeithas yr Iaith said:
At a press conference in Carmarthen today (Monday 22nd of August), before the start of the new school term, Cymdeithas yr Iaith revealed that the new Education Secretary Kirsty Williams has given new hope for Welsh village schools at a recent meeting.
Sharing details of the meeting, Toni Schiavone, Cymdeithas' education spokesman said:
