Cymuned
Encyclopedia
Cymuned is a Welsh
communities pressure group. Established in 2001, the group campaigns on behalf of local communities in Wales
, particularly (but not exclusively) Welsh-speaking
and rural ones, which it perceives to be under threat due to demographic change.
Cymuned has campaigned on issues of housing, incomers, and social justice
, and describes itself as an anti-colonisation and anti-racist organisation.
Cymuned have orchestrated protests outside estate agents in England
that sell second homes in Wales
to English people. They have also protested against the Welsh train company Arriva Trains Wales
for the lack of use of the Welsh language
on its services, and the holiday agents Thomas Cook
for banning the use of Welsh in its Bangor branch in 2007.
Critics argue estate agents are providing a commercial service to the Welsh people who contract them to sell or rent their property in return for market value and that the sharp rise in the cost of property in recent years is not confined to Wales but an international phenomenon of the growing world economy, however Cymuned argues that there is a need to create a secondary sustainable local housing market in rural Wales. A new campaign designed to ensure that a sustainable proportion of new homes should be for locals only is based on planning policy that has already been adopted in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, as well as parts of Shropshire
, Devon
, the Peak District
and the Lake District
.
Cymuned is also presently campaigning on behalf of the Rhostyllen community near Wrexham
against plans by the National Trust
to develop land next to the village for high-priced housing.
The chief executive of Cymuned is Aran Jones, who has learned Welsh as a second language. Other notable members include the poet and musician, Twm Morys
(who won the chair at the 2003 national eisteddfod), Dr Simon Brooks
, former editor of the Welsh language current affairs magazine Barn
, Judith Humphreys
, a Welsh actress and Dr Jerry Hunter
, an American Harvard graduate who moved to Wales to learn Welsh and has remained in Wales ever since, working in academic posts at the University of Wales
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
communities pressure group. Established in 2001, the group campaigns on behalf of local communities in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, particularly (but not exclusively) Welsh-speaking
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
and rural ones, which it perceives to be under threat due to demographic change.
Cymuned has campaigned on issues of housing, incomers, and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, and describes itself as an anti-colonisation and anti-racist organisation.
Cymuned have orchestrated protests outside estate agents in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
that sell second homes in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
to English people. They have also protested against the Welsh train company Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
for the lack of use of the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
on its services, and the holiday agents Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook of Melbourne, Derbyshire, England founded the travel agency that is now Thomas Cook Group.- Early days :...
for banning the use of Welsh in its Bangor branch in 2007.
Critics argue estate agents are providing a commercial service to the Welsh people who contract them to sell or rent their property in return for market value and that the sharp rise in the cost of property in recent years is not confined to Wales but an international phenomenon of the growing world economy, however Cymuned argues that there is a need to create a secondary sustainable local housing market in rural Wales. A new campaign designed to ensure that a sustainable proportion of new homes should be for locals only is based on planning policy that has already been adopted in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, as well as parts of Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
and the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
.
Cymuned is also presently campaigning on behalf of the Rhostyllen community near Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
against plans by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
to develop land next to the village for high-priced housing.
The chief executive of Cymuned is Aran Jones, who has learned Welsh as a second language. Other notable members include the poet and musician, Twm Morys
Twm Morys
-Biography:Morys was born in 1961 in Oxford, a son to the author Jan Morris. He was brought up in Llanystumdwy and attended Ysgol y Llan, before attending boarding school in Shrewsbury at the age of seven...
(who won the chair at the 2003 national eisteddfod), Dr Simon Brooks
Simon Brooks
Dr Simon Brooks is a former editor of the Welsh language current affairs magazine Barn , as well as founding co-editor of the Welsh language cultural magazine Tu Chwith between 1993 and 1996. A collection of his journalism in Barn was published in 2009...
, former editor of the Welsh language current affairs magazine Barn
Barn (Welsh magazine)
Barn is a monthly Welsh language current affairs magazine. It was established in 1962 and over 500 issues have been published. Its first editor was Emlyn Evans and it was published by Llyfrau'r Dryw, Llandybie...
, Judith Humphreys
Judith Humphreys
Judith Humphreys is a Welsh actress who appeared in the films Hedd Wyn and The Storms of August.- External links :*...
, a Welsh actress and Dr Jerry Hunter
Jerry Hunter
T. Gerald Hunter, more commonly known as Jerry Hunter, is an American graduate of Cincinnati , Aberystwyth and Harvard . Originally from Cincinnati, he now lives in Wales and has held academic posts at Cardiff and more recently Bangor University, where he is currently a Reader in the School of...
, an American Harvard graduate who moved to Wales to learn Welsh and has remained in Wales ever since, working in academic posts at the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
.