Welsh Language support from the WSA

Welsh Language support from the WSA

In order to help and encourage our members and the wider sport and leisure sector to utilise and develop the use of Welsh, and experience the vast benefits in doing so, the Welsh Sports Association (WSA) offers a bank of resources on our our Welsh Language Support page.

The number of Welsh-speakers is continuously steadily increasing and is in fact the highest it’s been since the year 2000.

According to the Annual Population Survey last year, over 29% of the population (aged three and above) in Wales can speak Welsh, equating to just under 900,000 people, while nearly 500,000 people report that they use the language daily! And these figures are only continuing to rise!

So, adopting the language into your organisation’s activity is a fantastic idea; offering services in Welsh can:

• Attract new members and volunteers to your sport
• Meet the needs of your current members
• Create a sense of team and national pride

The WSA has a firm mission in aiding and supporting the growth of Welsh within the sport and leisure sector and wider society, because we believe that language should never be a barrier that prevents people doing what they love and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

This is why we offer a whole host of Welsh language resources – from simple sport-related phrases to resources supporting you in integrating Welsh into your organisation’s communications strategies – on our Welsh Language Support page, and even provide Wales’ only bilingual DBS checking service (including a bilingual helpline)!

If you want to get started with offering Welsh services to your members or customers, things don’t have to be completely revolutionised overnight! For example, you can simply take a look at some translated sports terms prepared by the Welsh Language Board to introduce the use of Welsh in your activity rather than totally changing the way you do things immediately.

Having said that, you can also find details of sport resources provided by the Welsh Language Commissioner, proofreading and translation services, how to attract a bi-lingual audience on social media, and even how to make your organisation’s aesthetic Welsh-friendly – with WSA members even able to benefit from discounted rates on some services listed!

Or contact the team to find out more!

You can also view the full range of resources and support the WSA provides by visiting our Services page.

And to find out how you can sign up for membership, visit our Become a Member page.