Hwyliaith: Language can be fun!

The Welsh language is a vital part of Wales’s identity, and remains at the heart of modern Welsh life.

Welsh heritage reflects the people and culture of Wales. It tells the story of Wales’s history, and is a huge source of pride for Welsh people.

Cwmpas has been working with Ceredigion County Council, helping community organisations to build pride of place and increase life chances across Ceredigion’s communities through support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

One of the organisations Cwmpas Business Consultant Tricia has been working with under the UKSPF is Hwyliaith.

Director Nia Llywelyn set up Hwyliaith in October 2023 to help people gain confidence in speaking Welsh.

“My main aim is to get families interested in supporting their children with learning the Welsh language. I want to show people that learning Welsh doesn’t have be difficult, and it can be fun!

“That explains the name of the company: Hwyliaith = Fun-Language.

“About half of the Ceredigion community speaks Welsh.

“Hearing the language spoken in the community definitely helps, and that’s what I’m here for – to give people confidence in their abilities, and the motivation to come together, practice speaking the Welsh language with fellow learners and their own community, and carry on learning.”

Nia decided to convert the business to a social enterprise in 2024.

As Nia’s previous business was not registered with Companies House and Nia was a sole trader, she was able to start her social enterprise as a new entity, using the same business name.

Cwmpas Business Adviser Tricia started working with Nia in April 2024.

Tricia supported Nia to set up her new social business, providing support with policy development, and business advice on legal structure, company registration, and business compliance.

Nia said:

“The support I’ve been given through the SPF scheme has been very useful, and my adviser, Tricia, has been very, very helpful. I wouldn’t have known where to start otherwise.

“With Hwyliaith, I want to give back to the community. By setting up as a social enterprise, I will have a team behind me, and we can give advice and support through the business venture.

“Everyone should have access to the Welsh language. Children learn Welsh at school, but they aren’t children for long, and people still want to learn Welsh, even when they’re older.

“Learning needs to be done in context. My resources and trainers will be available to teach children in schools, and then to teach their parents outside school hours. The aim is to get the whole family unit involved.

“Some years ago, as a tutor in Newtown, I spoke to some nursery children and staff who told me they were heading to the pet shop to choose treats and equipment to look after their nursery dog.

“They were so enthusiastic about the project, which really caught their imagination. That story, and my own dog, Sam, were the inspiration behind my stories about Sam Ci (‘Sam the Dog’), which make conversational Welsh fun and real.

“The scheme Gwneud a Dweud (Do and Say) includes songs, dialogues and videos, five learning units, reading books for children, and more. The hope is that schools will adopt this scheme, and it will have a triangle effect, boosting and supporting the child, the family, and the community.” 

Gwneud a Dweud is due out later in 2025 with the launch of Nia’s website www.hwyliaith.cymru.

Contact nia.llywelyn@googlemail.com to learn more.