Companies in Gwynedd and Ynys Môn are to be encouraged to increase use of the Welsh language to help "revitalise" the rural economy, as part of a summit to celebrate the Bwrlwm ARFOR project.
The ARFOR24 summit will take place on Thursday, November 28, at Llanelli's Parc y Scarlets.
Nigel Williams, finance director of Cross Hands-based food wholesaler Castell Howell, will be the keynote speaker.
The Bwrlwm ARFOR project is part of the £11 million Welsh Government ARFOR Two scheme, which targets the Welsh "strongholds" of Ynys Môn, Gwynedd, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.
Also to take place is a trade fair exhibition, the Ffair Fasnach.
That event is being organised by Ynys Môn-based consultancy Lafan, as part of the Welsh Government’s Welsh language strategy, Cymraeg 2050, which aims to ensure there are one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
The Ffair Fasnach will be compered by TV personality Angharad Mair.
Short presentations by four businesses from across the ARFOR area will take place at the fair, explaining how the Welsh language has been embraced and how it has led to economic benefits.
Zoe Pritchard, who has been leading the project for Lafan, said: "The Welsh language is a business advantage in Wales and our aim has been to create a buzz around the use of Welsh in the commercial environment.
"Our aim is to showcase the economic benefits that speaking Welsh and promoting the language in businesses can have and boost your bottom line.
"Conversely, the fact is that not using Welsh or at least having the language on show can cost money by losing out on that Welsh audience.
"The language is a key part of life in our communities and can help businesses thrive and provide careers for our young people so they don’t feel they have to move away."
Earlier this year, the Gwobrau Mwyaf Cymraeg (Most Welsh in the World) competition attracted hundreds of entries from the four ARFOR counties.
Among those who picked up an award was young mum Ffion Wyn Evans, who started a Welsh language support group, Blocs, after suffering from post-natal depression.
Her book, entitled Enfys o Emosiynau (Rainbow of Emotions), designed to be a mental health resource for children aged three to ten, has now been taken up by 30 schools across Wales.
ARFOR Two was part of the Welsh Government Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru and followed an earlier ARFOR programme launched in 2019.
It is intended to provide economic support to communities that are strongholds of the Welsh language; increase opportunities to see and use the Welsh language on a daily basis; and help young people under the age of 35 to stay in or return to their communities.
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