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Welsh Language Society

The Welsh Language Society (Welsh: Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, also often abbreviated to Cymdeithas yr Iaith or just Cymdeithas in English) is a direct action pressure group in Wales campaigning for the right of Welsh people to use the Welsh language in every aspect of their lives. The chair of the Welsh Language Society since October 2023 is Joseff Gnagbo.[1][2]

Formation

August 4, 1962 (1962-08-04)

Owain Owain, John Davies, Geraint Jones (Trefor)

Advocacy group

Welsh Language rights, Welsh Nationalism

Aberystwyth, Wales

Minority language movement, Anti Globalization

Joseff Gnagbo

cymdeithas.cymru

was damaged on Monday 7 February 1977, costing £25,000, Dyfed–Powys Police arrested the leader at his home at Cenarth;[15][16] there was another break-in on Monday 19 November 1979, which included John Rowlands and Geraint H. Jenkins[17]

Blaenplwyf transmitter

was turned off from 10pm on Thursday 2 November 1978; the group had broken into The Wrekin on the same night, but had turned off the wrong switch[18]

Waltham

was damaged on Thursday 8 February 1979, BBC1 restored by Friday but BBC2 took three more days;[19][20] it caused £15,700 of damage; 23 year old Hywel Pennar, a student at St David's Lampeter, was jailed for 9 months; he was the son of Pennar Davies, the Principal from 1959 to 1979 of Swansea Theological College[21]

Midhurst

in Suffolk was damaged on Thursday 15 March 1979 with £20,000 of damage[22]

Sudbury

1960s –

Bilingual road signs

1970s – Welsh-language television channel campaign and establishment of , the world's only Welsh-language television channel, in 1982.

S4C

1993 – enacted, requiring public bodies to offer limited Welsh-language services

Welsh Language Act 1993

2000s – Campaign for new Welsh Language Act and official status for the language under the

Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011

2011 – Welsh-medium higher education college, , established

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol

According to the language group's website, its campaigns have contributed to securing the following policy changes for the language:[28]

Current volunteers and staff[edit]

Current board of movement-[29] Chair- Robat Idris


Vice-chairperson of campaigns- Ifan Jones


Vice-chairperson of communication- Osian Rhys


Vice-chairperson of administrative duties- Mai Roberts


Treasurer- Danny Grehan


Officer of raising money and Membership- Bethan Ruth


Officer of commercial and goods- Mirain Owen


Officer of Digital- Llinos Anwyl


Officer of design- Carwyn Hedd


Editor of Y Tafod- Mared Llywelyn Williams


Officer of learners – Heledd Owen


International deputy- Joseff Gnagbo


Chair of education- Mabli Siriol


Vice-chairperson of education-


Chair of the Sustainable Communities Group- Jeff Smith


Vice-chairperson of the Sustainable Communities Group-


Chair of the Digital Futures Group- Carl Morris


Vice-chairperson of the Digital Futures Group- Mirain Owen


Chair of Right to the Welsh Language – Aled Powell


Vice-chairperson of Right to the Welsh Language


Chair of Health and Well Being Group- Gwerfyl Roberts


The society is a largely voluntary movement, which also employs five full-time members of staff, one at its head office in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, one in its Caernarfon office, two in its Cardiff office and one in the Llanfihangel-ar-Arth office.

List of movements in Wales

Barn (Welsh magazine)

, an equivalent campaign in Scotland, founded in 1981

Ceartas

Dyfodol I'r Iaith

Golwg

at the National Library of Wales

Records of the Welsh Language Society

and Arfon Gwylim interviewed by Rob Gibson, in Burnett, Ray (ed.), Calgacus 3, Spring 1976, pp. 18 – 21, ISSN 0307-2029

Dafydd Iwan

(in Welsh)

Cymdeithas yr Iaith website

(in English)

Cymdeithas yr Iaith website

(in English)

Documents on the founding of the Society