£680,000 for Gaelic Language

A Gaelic language development contract worth £680,000 has been awarded to Comunn na Gàidhlig (CnaG) for the next two years by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

Supporting Gaelic is at the heart of HIE's remit for social and community development in the Highlands and Islands and the new contract will enable the Gaelic development agency to continue to deliver services which will significantly increase the contribution of Gaelic particularly in the region's fragile areas.

The agreement between CnaG and HIE provides a series of targets and achievements and will focus on areas such as applying Gaelic in the growth of key sectors such as the creative industries and tourism in the economy of the Highlands and Islands, and the development of a strategy for growth of the Gaelic labour market.

The services set out in the contract stem from the current Government Economic Strategy and the HIE Gaelic Plan. Other targets detailed in this current contract with CnaG include promoting Fàs aig an Oir projects (Growth at the Edge) and providing grant schemes for bilingual signage and a community regeneration fund.

In addition CnaG is also currently working in partnership with Bòrd na Gàidhlig - the development agency responsible for the overall direction and management of the National Gaelic Language Plan.

HIE's Director of Strengthening Communities John Watt said: "HIE is ambitious about developing Gaelic language use and about the crucial role its culture can play in strengthening our businesses and communities. The contract with CnaG has formed the cornerstone of HIE's development work for some time and has produced demonstrable results and made a significant contribution to the language development effort.

"HIE has long recognised the opportunities that Gaelic and its associated culture and traditions present for the development of the Highlands and Islands. The HIE Gaelic Language Plan looks to fully realise the community and economic development benefits of the Gaelic language, its culture and its heritage, and will help ensure that we secure a truly sustainable future for the Gaelic communities of the Highlands and Hebrides."

Donald MacNeill, chief executive of CnaG said: "We are delighted to be working with HIE and to be able to operate these important and useful award schemes. It can't be denied these days that there are many opportunities to be found in Gaelic for companies and communities. Here at CnaG we believe these schemes are a means of encouraging people to take advantage of those opportunities, and by doing so to raise the profile of Gaelic and encourage others to do more. We are delighted at the continuing success of our partnership in Gaelic development which is clearly reflected in the renewal of the contract for 2010-12."