Helo Blod: A fast, free and friendly Welsh translation service
Stephen Price
With more and more businesses across Wales realising the value of the Welsh language, there couldn’t be a better time to shine a spotlight on fast and friendly Welsh translation service, Helo Blod.
Helo Blod is a Welsh translation and advice service that aims to help people use more Welsh in their business or charity. And, best of all, it’s everyone’s to use for free.
Helo Blod can translate up to 500 words into Welsh per month for your business, completely free of charge.
Just log into your Helo Blod and Me account, give them the English text you want translating, and they will do all the hard work while businesses and customers across Wales reap the benefits.
Helo Blod say they will return your translations within 4 working days, or 1 working day if it’s 5 words or fewer.
Together, they can help you use a little (or a lot) of Welsh with up to 10 requests for translation or text checking / enquiries per calendar month.
Tidy
For those with some Welsh language skills, they say: “You can have a crack at writing Welsh copy for your business and together we’ll build your confidence. Give it a go, and don’t worry about mistakes ‒ make as many as you like!
“Helo Blod will tidy it up, and give you feedback and suggestions within 4 working days. Helo Blod can check 1,000 words per year for free, so you have the peace of mind that the materials you’re producing in Welsh are correct.”
Helo Blod also offer practical advice, guidance and support to help businesses across use a little (or a lot) of Welsh – helping with up to 10 enquiries/requests for translation or text checking per calendar month.
Welsh language technology
Many Welsh speakers, both new and old, will also be surprised to know that a lot of the technology we use day to day is also available in Welsh.
Whether your business needs a Welsh digital spelling and grammar checker or you’re looking to develop new software, resources and services, their list of Welsh and bilingual resources is the perfect place to start.
Do you use Microsoft 365? The Welsh language interface is available free of charge.
This collection of office programs is free of charge but what’s even better is that they’re available in Welsh!
Ever come across an unfamiliar word when reading a Welsh web page? Move the mouse over that word and Vocab will show you the translation.
Use more Welsh in your everyday life with this open source e-mail, news feed, chat and calendar app.
Do you want to install a Welsh interface on your computer but don’t know where to start? Watch this collection of videos which are easy to follow and show you exactly how to go about it.
Thanks to this interactive Welsh map, you’ll never need to feel lost again! The place-names all appear in Welsh and you can embed the map on your own websites too.
Do you or your company offer a service in English only? Perhaps Linguaskin can help you offer it in Welsh too.
An extension to the Chrome browser that highlights Welsh words so you can understand them more easily if you’re learning Welsh.
Inclusivity
Helo Blod can also provide your charity of business with Iaith Gwaith badges and lanyards that let customers know you have staff who can speak or are learning Welsh.
And for those who need anything extra, they’ll put you in touch with someone who can help.
To give your business the edge, and to shout loud and proud about your Welsh identity, not to mention opening doors to customers old and new, Helo Blod is an invaluable service just waiting to be used.
“Because a little Cymraeg can go a long, long way.”
Find out more about Helo Blod and how it can support your business or charity here.
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Unfortunately, the limits of 500 words per month translation and 1000 words per year review of the client’s own translation for free, plus the refusal to do any more, even on a paid basis means this service is pretty well useless for most organisations apart from cafes wanting menus translated, as shown in the illustrations to this article, since menus usually do not contain many words. A voluntary organisation with which I am associated is putting together some informational material about a topic of relevance to our activities. Since grant bodies in Wales often require applicants to show that they… Read more »