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These are just some of the highlights of the council’s Welsh Language Promotion Strategy Annual Report (2023-2024) which has been presented to Scrutiny Committee members and published on the council's website.

The report provided information on progress in promoting the use of Welsh, both throughout Neath Port Talbot communities and on the council itself, made between 1st April 2023 and 31st March 2024.

Here are the key successes: 

•    Welsh language, culture and heritage in Neath Port Talbot was given a major boost in April 2023 when it was announced Margam Park will the venue for Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Urdd Gobaith Cymru 2025. The Urdd’s National Eisteddfod is Wales's largest youth festival, attracting 75,000 competitors and more than 100,000 visitors each year. The 2025 Urdd Eisteddfod will be held between 26th – 31st May, 2025.

•    The Neath Port Talbot Destination Management Plan was launched. This identifies the Welsh language as being key to encouraging a sense of place and creating vibrant communities. 

•    The new Youth Mayor for Neath Port Talbot chose to focus on the Welsh language as one of her priorities. Also, the NPT Youth Council appointed its first Welsh Language Champion, the legacy being that the Youth Council will have a Welsh Language Champion every year going forward. 

•    The ‘Learning and Using Welsh’ page on the council’s website saw an increase of 166 hits or 44.5% in 2023-2024, compared to 2022-2023. 

•    The council employed a Welsh Content Designer to ensure the Welsh language is integrated into all aspects of its digital services. 

•    The NPT Culture Strategy was adopted in September 2023, the principal theme around Welsh Language being “Welsh at Heart”.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Social Justice, Cllr Simon Knoyle, said: “It is a vision of the culture strategy that by 2030 our Welsh language and culture will thrive and help deliver the seven wellbeing goals of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act Wales (2015). Welsh culture is at the heart of this strategy.

“The council’s Welsh Language Officer Group remains key to the promotion of the Welsh language, the implementation of the standards, identification of good practice and monitoring compliance.

“It’s pleasing to see the good progress made regarding the council’s strategy for promoting the Welsh language in Neath Port Talbot, as it not only means we are fulfilling our obligations under the Welsh Language Standards, it also shows we are helping meet the Welsh Government’s target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050.”

A revised Neath Port Talbot Council Welsh Language Promotion Strategy 2023-2028 was adopted by Council on 12th July, 2023. This was the first annual report under that revised strategy.

Link to report: on https://www.npt.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans-and-policies/welsh-language/welsh-language-promotion-strategy/