Category: News

Recruitment underway for 3 new Board Members

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Scottish Ministers are seeking to appoint three skilled and committed individuals to the board of the principal public body for the promotion of the Gaelic language, Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Scottish Ministers welcome applications from people from a wide range of backgrounds who have the following skills, knowledge and experience:

Generalist skills/knowledge/experience

  • Gaelic communication skills
  • Oversight & Accountability
  • Effective analysis & Decision making
  • Communication & Teamworking

*Specialist skills/knowledge/experience

  • Language planning
  • Legal background/awareness

Cathraiche (Chair) of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Màiri MacInnes said: “Being part of the Board of Bòrd na Gàidhlig is an exciting opportunity to be involved in the development and promotion of the language. I would encourage all those with the commitment, expertise and passion in securing the future of the Gaelic language in all communities, whether that be online, cities or rural areas to apply for one of these appointments.”

An informal information session will be held for any interested parties to ask any questions or learn more about the role on Wednesday 5 April 2023 at 6:30pm. You can register for the event at www.bit.ly/BuillBnG

Board members will be expected to spend on average three days per month on BnG business. The appointments will take effect on 1 August 2023, and the closing date for applications is 24 April 2023.

Interviews will take place in June 2023.

How to apply

An application pack and full details on these posts and other public appointments can be found at the public appointments website www.appointed-for-scotland.org.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig provides almost £1 million for Gaelic Development Officers

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Bòrd na Gàidhlig funding aimed at promoting Gaelic has provided almost £1 million for language development officers since its launch.

A new funding stream, made possible by £400k in extra funding from the Scottish Government, which allows organisations to extend the one-year term of Gaelic development officers currently funded under the Gaelic Officer Scheme, has provided 20 awards alone for the current funding round in 2023.

Organisations from the Western Isles, Highlands, Argyll and Bute, Edinburgh, and Glasgow – working in a range of sectors including sports, arts and culture, environment, and education – are among those to benefit.

The total funding for this year’s round amounts to £473,165, providing an extension to 11 existing contracts and creating 9 new roles. The funding has helped facilitate numerous initiatives aimed at promoting Gaelic development and increasing the use of the language and culture in Gaelic communities throughout Scotland.

Over the two years, a total of £957,000 has been allocated to this development work.

Mairi MacInnes, Chair at Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said: “This funding scheme has led to significant progress in promoting the Gaelic language and culture across Scotland. The Gaelic development officers have helped to facilitate numerous initiatives that promote Gaelic development, such as community-based programs, cultural events, and educational activities.

“We are pleased to support the outstanding work of these organisations and look forward to seeing the continued growth of Gaelic communities throughout Scotland.”

                                   

Bòrd na Gàidhlig welcomes new Co-optees

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Bòrd na Gàidhlig are delighted to welcome two new co-opted members to their committees.  Kenneth MacIver joined the Policy and Resources Committee and Rob McKinnon joined the Audit and Assurance Committee from February 2023. 

They both bring a wealth of experience to the committees with a wide range of skills between them.

Kenneth MacIver has been involved in Gaelic affairs throughout his life. In his youth, he was involved in Gaelic drama. He worked at the Highland Society and taught Gaelic at the University College (UCD) in Dublin. People are more familiar with him as a broadcaster over many years. He was Chairman of Comunn na Gàidhlig, and of the Stornoway Trust, a member of Comhairle nan Eilean for 10 years and editor of the Stornoway Gazette.

Rob McKinnon has a background in finance and strategy, including a spell in PricewaterhouseCoopers corporate finance division in London and Sydney.  For many years he worked with the Boards and Executives of some of the of UK’s leading companies on organisation design, management processes, consumer insight and strategic decision making.  

He developed a focus on hospitality and tourism, leading delivery of strategic projects for InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).  For the past five years he has been Chief Executive of Outer Hebrides Tourism, the destination management organisation for the Western Isles.  This included a much higher profile for Gàidhlig in promoting the islands, including a marketing campaign entirely in Gàidhlig. 

He is a Gàidhlig learner, completing Cùrsa Adhartais at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.  His family is from the Outer Hebrides and he splits his time between Edinburgh and the Isle of Harris. 

Shona MacLennan, Ceannard of Bòrd na Gàidhlig said: “We’d like to extend a warm welcome to Kenneth and Rob and we know that they will contribute to the work of the committees. They both have a wealth of knowledge in a variety of sectors which will be most useful. We look forward to working with them.” 

Gaelic Awards 2023

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Photo: Stevie Walsh

The Gaelic Awards 2023 were held at the Glasgow Marriott Hotel on Tuesday evening. Ten awards were presented to people and groups throughout the country for their work in Gaelic. For the first time, the Gaelic Awards were held as part of Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) and celebrated some of the people and organisations who work hard within Gaelic.

This was the tenth year of the Gaelic Awards and there were some changes to the award categories including a new Award for the Content Creator of the Year, an award for Gaelic in Sport alongside the annual awards such as Young Ambassador of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award.

The evening was hosted by Cathy ‘Bhàn’ MacDonald and there were around 150 people in attendance to celebrate Gaelic.

The Gaelic Awards, which are held in partnership with the Daily Record, allow people and groups the opportunity to be recognised for the important work that they do in Gaelic each year.

Màiri MacInnes, Chair of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said: “There is a lot of work going on in Gaelic and that is growing every year. That is clearly evident as we have received the most nominations this year! We had a great night together as we celebrate the Gaelic language, contributing to the normalization of the Gaelic language and maintaining the wonderful work that is going on in the world through Gaelic.”

The following awards were presented:

Arts and Culture Award – Marcas Mac an Tuairneir

Best Contribution Award – Yvonne Irving

Best Contribution to Media – FilmG

Community Award – Comunn Oiseanach Oilthigh Ghlaschu

Learning Award – Sgioba na Gàidhlig, eSgoil

Gaelic in Sport – Màiri NicRisnidh, BBC Spòrs Gàidhlig

Gaelic as an Economic Asset – Astar

Best Gaelic Content-Creator – Young Scot

Young Ambassador of the Year – Raonaid Kellow

Lifetime Achievement Award – Ailean Caimbeul

Further information:

Bòrd na Gàidhlig

Duaisean na Gàidhlig

Funding for Community Groups

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Bòrd na Gàidhlig provide funding to community groups for 60 Gaelic projects.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig has awarded over £171,000 to 60 Gaelic projects as part of their Taic Freumhan Coimhearsnachd (Community Grants) scheme – Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s primary fund for supporting organisations in delivering projects to promote and increase usage and learning of Gaelic at community level.

Organisations from throughout Scotland will benefit from the awards, ranging from primary schools and Gaelic groups, to a community circus and a dementia charity.

Portree High School is the biggest recipient following an award of £5,000 towards supporting over 130 pupils currently receiving part of their education through Gaelic. The school says it wants to strengthen the Gaelic community, develop skills, grow confidence in working together, as well as encourage connections with other Gaelic speakers.

Alzheimer Scotland has been provided £4,000 to deliver Fàs na Gàidhlig, developing on their Còmhraidhean sa Ghàidhlig / Gaelic Conversations project, the charity want to keep up the momentum by engaging with people living with dementia and their carers, family and friends and to build on the intergenerational links created with the Gaelic primary schools in Skye, Lochaber, and Wester Ross.

Artsplay Highland has also received £4,000 for their Ceòl agus Ceilidh project, which will enable them to deliver a total of 39 workshops across three Gaelic medium nursery groups within Drumnadrochit, Dingwall and Tain.

Among the many other organisations receiving funding are James Gillespie’s High School in Edinburgh, who have been awarded £1,750 to enhance their Gaelic offering in the capital.

Glasgow Community Circus CIC has been awarded funds to offer classes in Gaelic for young people between 6 and 18, to learn skills such as trapeze, gymnastics and unicycle, while Kingoldrum Village Hall in Angus has been provided funding for its Gaelic in the Glens project.

Bishopbriggs Academy has been recognised with an award to fund its Gaelic podcast project, while West Primary School in Renfrewshire has been awarded £1,750 to pay for Gaelic lessons for parents who have children in Gaelic-medium education, as well as school staff who want to learn the language.

Friends of the Elphinstone Institute in Aberdeen have been awarded £2,500 for Seinn Spioradail, a year-long touring exhibition with audio-visual material including a digital archive, 15 minute film and website to be launched in January 2024. Meanwhile, the Dingwall Players have received £800 towards a Gaelic artist in residence.

Mairi MacInnes, Chair of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said:

“We are delighted to support all of these wonderful communities as they promote and increase the use of Gaelic at both local and national level. This latest round of funding shows the impact that Bòrd na Gàidhlig has with organisations, charities and community groups across the country as we look to increase the reach of the Gaelic language together.

We are committed to helping organisations deliver projects at a community level that will not only increase the usage of Gaelic, but also engage the next generation as we continue to put the language at the heart of communities across Scotland.”

 

Bòrd na Gàidhlig runs funding schemes at different times throughout the year. If you have a proposal for a project please email: tabhartas@gaidhlig.scot, or phone 07584 103 944.

 

­Funding Recipients

Aberdeenshire

Friends of the Elphinstone Institute – £2,500

Fèis Obar Dheathain (Aberdeen Festival) – £940

 

Angus

Kingoldrum Village Hall – £3,500

 

Argyll and Bute

Tighnabruaich District Development Trust – £2,000

Comunn Gàidhealach an Òbain – £3,000

Air Ghleus – £2,000

Co-roinn Ghàidhlig Mhuile agus Idhe – £1,200

Comunn Gàidhealach Muile – £3,000

 

Edinburgh

Bothan Dhùn Èideann – £3,500

Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland – £3,000

Edinburgh Napier University – £3,000

Àrd-sgoil Sheumais Ghilleasbuig – £1,750

 

Dumfries and Galloway

Gàidhlig Dumgal – £3,500

 

East Ayrshire

East Ayrshire Gaelic Forum – £3,000

 

East Dunbartonshire

Bishopbriggs Academy – £240

Bishopbriggs Gaelic Group – £2,500

CnP Meadowburn – £2,000

 

East Renfrewshire

Gàidhlig san Dachaigh Glaschu a Deas – £3.700

Glasgow Community Circus CIC – £2,750

 

Glasgow

Lingo Flamingo – £4,000

The Highland Society of London – £800

Gàidhlig san Dachaigh (Glaschu) – £3,000

Comhairle nam Pàrant Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghleann Dàil – £4,000

Ceòl is Craic – £4,000

Mount Cameron Primary School – £3,000

Comunn na Drama – £3,850

 

Highlands

Munlochy Gaelic Group (Black Isle) – £3,000

Knoydart Foundation (Caol and Mallaig) – £3,750

Glenfinnan Community Facilties SCIO (Caol and Mallaig) – £2,200

Dingwall Players (Dingwall) – £800

Fèis Chataibh (East Sutherland and Edderton) – £3,000

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (Eilean a’ Cheò) – £4,000

Gàidhlig san Dachaigh (Eilean a’ Cheò) – £1,000

Alzheimer Scotland – Action On Dementia (Eilean a’ Cheò) – £4,000

Bun Sgoiltean Chille Mhoire agus Stafainn (Eilean a’ Cheò) – £3,800

Ionad Thròndairnis (Eilean a’ Cheò) – £4,000

Àrd-sgoil Phort Rìgh (Eilean a’ Cheò) – £5,000

Urras an Taobh Sear (Eilean a’ Cheò) – £3,000

Meur Loch Abar (Fort William and Ardnamurchan) – £4,000

Fèis Lochabair (Fort William and Ardnamurchan) – £1,750

Artsplay Highland – £4,500

Lairg & District Learning Centre (North, West and Central Sutherland) – £4,500

North West Training Centre (North, West and Central Sutherland) – £1,500

Comann Nam Pàrant Baile Dhubhthaich (Tain and Easter Ross) – £4,000

Fèis Air an Oir (Thurso and Northwest Caithness) – £3,000

North West Highlands Geopark (West Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh) – £2,400

 

Inverclyde

Inverclyde Gaelic Learners Group – £1,000

 

Outer Hebrides

Urras Coimhearsnachd Bhràdhagair agus Àrnoil (West Side and Ness) £4,480

Dòchas Dancers (Barra) – £4,000

Sràdagan Sgìre Ùige (Uig and Carloway) – £2,500

Urras an Taighe Mhòir agus Comunn Eachdraidh Loch Ròg an Ear (Uig and Carloway) – £3,250

Sruth-mara (Uig and Carloway) – £3,850

Dòrlach – £4,000

 

Renfrewshire

West Primary School – £1,750

ClannGàidhlig – £1,800

 

South Lanarkshire

Thornton Road Community Centre Association – £1,000

East Kilbride Gaelic Group – £2,500

Clydesdale Community Gaelic Initiative – £3,750

Calderglen High School – £3,500

 

Stirlingshire

Fèis Fhoirt – £1,200

 

You can find more information about our funding schemes, including those that are open to applications now here.

See a full breakdown of the projects we have awarded funding on GrantNav.

Gaelic Medium Education

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Bòrd na Gàidhlig is aware of situations regarding Gaelic medium education and the need for more teachers to ensure that it can continue to grow.

In terms of education, Bòrd na Gàidhlig has a duty to publish the Statutory Guidance for Gaelic Education. Local authorities have the duty to provide education and responsibilities regarding teacher recruitment and retention.  The Scottish Funding Council, GTCS and universities have responsibilities in relation to teacher training.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig worked with officers at Highland, Argyll and Bute and Aberdeen City Councils to make recommendations on actions that would support the recruitment and retention of teachers and that report was submitted to the Councils last year.  This included recommendations on making teaching posts more attractive through offering permanent, full-time contracts, creating promotion structures and addressing issues such as access to affordable housing.

The second part of the report addressing national issues has been provided to The Highland Council, Scottish Government and others.  According to the most recent SG data, over one-third of those teachers qualified to teach in Gaelic medium are currently working in English medium. You can read the full report here.

In addition to providing advice, Bòrd na Gàidhlig works to encourage people to take up a career in teaching through the #DèanDiofar (MakeaDifference) campaigns promoting teaching and early-years careers, and through collaboration with many other organisations. BnG has a Development Officer (Teachers) who visits schools and universities to bring teaching to people’s attention as a career.

Bursaries are available from Bòrd na Gàidhlig to encourage people who are considering changing careers to train as teachers, for students undertaking Initial Teacher Education, for those who are registered teachers to become Gaelic-medium teachers through immersion courses and support also for probationary teachers.

New Director of Education at Bòrd na Gàidhlig

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Bòrd na Gàidhlig is delighted to announce the appointment of Jennifer McHarrie as Director of Education who takes up her appointment on 05 December 2022. Jennifer will lead the education team at Bòrd na Gàidhlig and work with them to lead the education policies of the Bòrd. Bòrd na Gàidhlig provides advice to the Scottish Government on Gaelic Education, works with education authorities and other bodies involved in the delivery of education in order to achieve the Bòrd’s objectives, and Jennifer will oversee the work of the Bòrd in the implementation of Statutory Guidance in the various agencies.

A resident of Carluke (South Lanarkshire) Jennifer has a wealth of experience in both the public and private sector relating to languages and education. She is a graduate of Glasgow University (French/Hispanic Studies) and learned Gaelic as an adult via a variety of different courses including evening classes in Glasgow and Lanarkshire, An Cùrsa Inntrigidh with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and recently completed Glasgow University’s Bliadhna Bogaidh, awarded with distinction. Jennifer joins BnaG from SQA, where she has worked for over 10 years, most recently as Qualifications Co-ordinator for on a wide range of projects relating to Gaelic including delivering the Educational Commitments in SQA’s Gaelic Language Plan, plus co-ordinating and growing Gaelic-medium provision. She has worked closely with teachers, local authorities in the Secondary, FE, HE and CLD sectors and has insight into the complex educational landscape, and also Language Planning and Policy at a national level.  A true advocate for the benefits of bilingualism, she has also worked in Translation Project Management, International Export and been an English Language Assistant in Northern Spain.

Mairi  MacInnes, Chair of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said, ‘We are extremely fortunate that someone with such extensive experience is going to strengthen the education team at the Bòrd. In particular, this will support local authorities and other bodies in realising the benefits of GME in their areas and in meeting the objectives set out in the National Gaelic Language Plan.”

Information Session – GME in Fife

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Bòrd na Gàidhlig warmly invites parents and carers to an on-line meeting on Gaelic-medium Education. Come along and find out more about Gaelic-medium and how it can be set up in Fife.

Jim Whannel, Director of Gaelic Education, at Bòrd na Gàidhlig, will deliver a short presentation on the benefits of Gaelic-medium and answer any questions prospective parents may have.

Fife Council promotes the potential provision of Gaelic-medium Education in the area and will co-host the meeting along with representatives of Comann nam Pàrant, the national organisation which offers advice and support on Gaelic medium education to parents.

The meeting will take place on Teams, Thursday 08th December at 18.30.

Update: Registration for this meeting has closed.

Historical Environment Scotland: Responsible Tourism Framework

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Bòrd na Gàidhlig welcomes the opportunity to respond to this consultation on Responsible Tourism Framework.

Some of the points raised include:

Gaelic is a national language. Increasing its use at HES’s sites will ensure that they are fully – as per the Framework – “providing visitor attractions that represent Scotland’s identity” and “tell Scotland’s story”.

The Gaelic language is vital to understanding the culture associated with many HES sites. VisitScotland’s Gaelic Tourism Strategy for Scotland – which HES are involved in delivering – states that:

“Gaelic is also embedded in our world-famous landscape and cities with instant recognition for the likes of Loch Ness (Loch Nis), Culloden (Cùil Lodair), Glenfinnan (Gleann Fhionnainn), Glasgow (Glaschu) and Dundee (Dùn Dè) whose names in English remain close to their original Gaelic”.

Increasing the use of Gaelic in, for example, interpretation will help achieve the Framework’s aim to “safeguard authenticity and the sense of place” and thus represent an enhancement “providing authentic visitor experiences”. It would also reinforce that Gaelic is a living language.

The full response can be read here.

National Parks Commission – Stakeholder Consultation

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Bòrd na Gàidhlig welcomes the opportunity to respond to this consultation by the National Parks Commission.

Some of the points raised include:

The growth in Gaelic learner numbers and in Gaelic-related tourism represents a tremendous opportunity for new and existing National Parks. Attracting people who use or are interested in Gaelic will produce a more diverse visitor profile – and increase visitor numbers with attendant economic benefits.

The use of the Gaelic language in settings such as National Parks contributes to individuals’ wellbeing.

Language and culture create self-esteem, nurture self-confidence, define identity and improve quality of life. This increases wellbeing for Gaelic users, learners, and supporters – who have great pride in the Gaelic language and culture. Gaelic contributes positively to what these people think and feel about their lives.

The full response is available to read here.

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