The Welsh Government has announced a new £11 million scheme that will fund jobs and the use of the Welsh language in the four counties with the highest level of Welsh speakers. The Arfor 2 programme is designed to make it viable for young people and families to stay in their home communities in Gwynedd, Ynys Môn, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.
The funding was delivered as part of the co-operation agreement between Labour and Plaid Cymru, and follows the 2019 pilot Arfor programme which was a £2 million fund with the same aims. The original Arfor programme included "Business Start Up" grants of up to £10,000 and "Going for Growth" grants for existing businesses of up to £40,000, and businesses had to demonstrate their ideas were innovative and had a positive impact on the Welsh language.
It is unclear exactly what grants will be available under Arfor 2, but the Welsh Government said it would now "continue on the detail" of the programme with local authority partners. Councillor Llinos Medi, the leader of Anglesey County Council, gave an idea of the impact of Arfor programme: "On Anglesey, 55 local businesses were assisted through an investment of around £400,000. This money either safeguarded or created 80 jobs and promoted the use of the Welsh language in 48 businesses."
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The stated aims of Arfor 2 include creating "opportunities for young people and families to stay in or return to their indigenous communities," to "preserve and increase local wealth by taking advantage of the identity and unique qualities" of the four counties, to "maximise the benefit of activity through collaboration" and "strengthen the identity of communities with a high density of Welsh speakers." The programme is a key part of the Cymraeg 2050 strategy to ensure there are one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
The designated member for the programme, Cefin Campbell, said: "By working together we are building on the successes of the Arfor pilot which aims to support and grow the local economy and the Welsh language together. The investment of £11m in this scheme is a direct boost to the economies of the west that will further promote entrepreneurship, business growth and help protect the Welsh language. We want to make sure communities in these areas can thrive and people are able to stay in their local communities for work or to grow a business."
Mel Gwenyn Gruffydd, whose Carmarthenshire-based honey business benefitted from the first Arfor programme, said: "Having had support through the Arfor Scheme has meant that a small honey business like ours has been given a chance to flourish in a rural Welsh speaking community. It has allowed me and my wife to be full time in the business and enabled us to create a further Welsh speaking job within the business too.
"It has meant that we have been able to stay in rural West Wales, build a business, create jobs and promote the use of the Welsh language through our work. Being part of Arfor has enabled us as a business to contribute to the Welsh language by giving talks and presentations to local groups and community too."
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