Adra and the Welsh language
We’ve done a great deal of good work to ensure that we treat the English and Welsh languages equally.
We have trained and encouraged non-Welsh speaking staff to learn the language and ensured that the bilingual principle is used within every service we provide.
But, there is more we can do. We are keen to work with interested partners to help the Welsh Government meet its ambitious target of securing one million Welsh speakers by 2050, amongst other things.
This is a useful leaflet created by Cyngor Gwynedd and Hunaniaith which gives you an introduction to the Welsh language in Gwynedd. You will find information on how to include the Welsh language in your life to help you settle in and feel at home in your community. It is packed with really interesting statistics and information about the Welsh language and organisations that arrange activities through the medium of Welsh. Read it to find out more.
Introduction to Gwynedd’s Language and Culture
Our Customers and the Welsh Language
Our main service users are residents who live in our homes. Our tenants and residents are a cross section of
- families
- single people
- older people with a relatively high proportion of them being elderly or disabled.
We can encourage them to use Welsh in their daily lives – at home, at work and in their communities.
In line with our growth strategy to meet the Welsh Government’s challenging targets to develop more social housing, the company has now expanded to include housing developments across North Wales.
By moving to less Welsh areas of Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham, we can use our influence and experience to promote the language in these areas.
We can attract others on the journey to learn the language in innovative ways and take part in Welsh language activities in their communities.
Corporate Plans
One of the fundamental principles of our Corporate Plan for 2019-2020 is that we promote the Welsh language.
We recognise that the Welsh language is essential to the life and culture of many of the communities in which we operate and is a vital element of our work. We will therefore always encourage customers, staff and partners to use the Welsh language.
To help and encourage us to put the Welsh language at the heart of all our work, the Charter has been drawn up. It simply sets out our commitment to the language and what we will do to ensure that our customers are able to live their lives through the medium of Welsh.
We are keen to lead the way and share this Charter with our partners and encourage them to join us on the journey to ensure that the Welsh language stays and thrives as a living language across the whole of Wales.
Our commitment to the Welsh Language
We have a robust Language Scheme that has permeated every aspect of the company’s work.
Our staff take pride in our ability to deal with our customers fully bilingually. Everyone who contacts us can do so through the medium of Welsh or English according to personal choice. Our internal administration language is Welsh and we speak to our customers in plain Welsh that they understand. Staff have training opportunities to develop and improve their skills and confidence in the Welsh language.
We are eagerly awaiting an announcement on when the Welsh language standards will be set on Housing Associations. In the meantime, we want any Housing Association or Private Business to work with us and share good practice to ensure that the Welsh language is given the due respect it deserves within our businesses and to ensure that our customers are fully aware of our commitment to the language and its future.
Why not learn Welsh?
The world’s most popular way to learn Welsh online is using App Duolingo
Learn Welsh in just 5 minutes a day with our game-like lessons.
Whether you’re a beginner starting with the basics or looking to practice your reading, writing, and speaking.
Self-study course for the Social Housing Sector
We’ve worked with National Centre for Learning Welsh to develop a short self-study course for employees of the Social Housing Sector.
We were a key part of developing the content of the course providing vocabulary and illustrations to be included in the course.
This is an initial course to give people a taste of learning Welsh by introducing vocabulary and everyday expressions relating to the world of work in the Social Housing Sector. The course is available to everyone, is free of charge, and takes around 10 hours to complete.
Short online taster courses
Apps – Microsoft Translator
Our Language Charter
We’ve developed this Charter to enable us to demonstrate a clear commitment to the Welsh language. It sets out what we will do to ensure that the Welsh language is given a rightful place in our company and that it permeates the communities we serve.
Welsh is our working language and this is how we will ensure that this principle is a core part of the company.
• we will adhere to all the commitments in our Welsh Language Scheme ensuring that we treat the Welsh and English languages equally.
• we will ensure that practical methods are in place to ensure that our customers and potential customers can interact with us through the medium of Welsh.
• we will be open and transparent in relation to our performance on Welsh language matters by monitoring and reporting Adra’s compliance with its Language Scheme on an annual basis. This will be available for all our customers to see.
• we will appoint a Welsh Language Champion on Adra’s Board to ensure that the Welsh language is prominent on the company’s strategic agenda.
• we will create an inclusive Welsh Language Working Group of Welsh speaking staff, learners and non-Welsh speakers to help the company ensure that the Welsh language is prominent in the workplace.
• we will make it easy for customers and the public to present any complaint they have regarding the Welsh language and learn lessons from any mistakes we make.
• we will use our role as a housing provider in non-Welsh speaking areas to promote the language in the best way we can.
• we will always promote and encourage customers, staff and partners to use the Welsh language as we recognise that the Welsh language is essential to the life and culture of many of the communities in which we operate and an essential element of our work.
• we will work with partners to help the Welsh Government meet its ambitious target of securing one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
• we will work with others to share good practice in relation to the Welsh Language Standards.