Gwent Police champion Welsh social media use

Nation Cymru staff

Gwent Police has been praised for a recent social media post celebrating the Welsh language and encouraging the public to engage with the force in Welsh.

To mark International Translation Day which takes place on 30 September, the force reiterated their commitment to making sure that the public can engage with them in Welsh.

International Translation Day is an international day recognising translation professionals. It is celebrated every year on 30 September, which is the day of the feast of St. Jerome, the Bible translator who is considered the patron saint of translators.

On 24 May 2017, the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 71/288 declaring September 30 International Translation Day, recognising the role of professional translation in connecting nations.

Gwent Police shared: “When you see a post from us in Welsh, there’s a little more to it than clicking a translate button.

“Every day, we share information in both English and Welsh so everyone across Gwent can access advice, updates and important information in the language that works best for them.

“Welsh is one of the oldest living languages in Europe and is spoken by hundreds of thousands of people every day here in Wales. Whether it’s your first language, a language you’re learning, or simply a language you’re proud of, we’re committed to making sure you can engage with your police service in Cymraeg.”

The force kept the theme light, asking their followers if they could guess some Welsh words.

They added: “So, let’s put your Welsh to the test! 👀 Can you guess what these policing terms mean?
🚓 Heddlu
🐶 Ci Heddlu
🚨 Galwad Brys
👮 Plismona Cymdogaeth
🏡 Cymuned
❤️ Diolch

“Pop your answers in the comments — and tell us your favourite Welsh word too. 💬

“A big thank you to the colleagues who help make our Welsh-language content possible every day, ensuring important information reaches as many people as possible.

“Diwrnod Rhyngwladol Cyfieithu Hapus! | Happy International Translation Day!”

Welsh language standards

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent (PCC) and the Chief Constable for Gwent Police share a commitment to working towards provision of a bilingual public service.

This supports the Welsh Language Commissioner’s vision for the Welsh language to be central to everyday life in Wales and creation of a society where Welsh can be used in an increasing number of contexts.

The Welsh Language Measure enacted in 2011 ensures the equal status of the Welsh language alongside the English language.

This law creates the role of a Welsh Language Commissioner and introduces a number of Welsh Language Standards.

In response to this notice, the PCC and Chief Constable have set the strategic aim to work in partnership towards a policing service which treats the Welsh and English languages equally and support our staff and communities who wish to communicate and engage with us through the medium of Welsh.

In order to achieve this aim, they say they will work together to deliver the following three key objectives:

• to improve the range of Welsh language services they currently offer to make it easier for members of the public to receive a service in Welsh
• to increase the number of Welsh speakers and learners they employ to reflect the percentage of Welsh speakers in the communities they serve in the Gwent area
• to use the information they obtain from monitoring and other sources to help them to identify areas where they can improve the quality of their Welsh language services and the Welsh language skills of their officers and staff.

Find out more about Gwent Police’s Welsh language standards here.

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